Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

[Alan975]

I am back at it! Trying to figure out how to tone down realism without going full cartoony.

Although I'd appreciate some pointers, having trouble visualizing the Bureau uniform and distinct looks for Evil, Paranoia and Ash.

Spoiler: Doodle

BlueSky post

 

[Sintonir]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

All I know is that Selene better fix the Celestia clock right soon because hitting Glory without Velvet's really cool personal SH Sacrament would just be incredibly disappointing and sad.

Biedde is also quite spooky but I am fully willing to send Smiles at him like a feline missile as DoA jingles Keys menacingly since Silky would be sad if her new giant uncle got bodied out of the estate for three turns.

I also now realize that, funnily enough, we can just send Torn Risen with Smiles to give him an outnumbering bonus against Biedde. They don't exactly have "fear." Or emotions at all, really. Or maybe throw Windigos at 'em alongside Smiles, while they do experience emotion most of them are in the line of SEND ME AMONGST MY ENEMIES SO THAT I MIGHT DIE KILLING, which to me reads like the opposite of fear.

 

[Pittauro]

That could work. And if we get it from the Expedition we could use it to boost Redemption to recover from the Malus(I don't recommend going to the final dungeon with 2 Health).

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or, you know, maybe @OurLadyOfWires would allow a conditional vote?

Do Forge 6 expedition first, IF it fails we make the reagent? Considering the single reagent is actually a free action I don't see why Velvet couldn't just wait to find out if she needs it or not. Maybe even make the forge 4 into 6 conditional if allowed.

2) You do realize at that point we might as well just make the Forge 6 reagent ourselves, yes? 80 + 135 for making a Forge 4 reagent and solo Name'ing the expedition is both more expensive and less reliable than just committing to making the Forge 6 reagent ourselves (80 + 110). Edit: And if the expedition fails, you've just make acquiring a Level 6 Forge reagent like 60% more expensive for no reason.

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And if it succeeded we get the loot of a LONG expedition, and all expeditions so far have had amazing loots.

And before you say that the lvl 6 book expedition only had the book, it was also a short and cheap expedition. Game Balance kinda requires that this expedition has MORE than just the Forge 6 reagent, really, or it doesn't make sense.

And finding the right books or artifacts might mean we get enough sources of scraps for one more sacrament... and the artifacts themselves are useful on All In anyway.

I can guarantee you here and now that all actions invested in Cadance support will be thrown at Celestia, with no refunds.

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Shame, but it makes sense

Soothe the Night allows Selene to do dream-shenanigans all month, so only one action is permitted and necessary for its full effect. Using two actions for it wouldn't work (or make sense) because she can't create more hours on a night to patrol for longer.

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Does Selene's dreamwalking replaces her need for normal speed, actually? Otherwise I imagine she sleeps right after school most days.

And just because it is being thrown around:
You can create a reagent as a "Free action" and it is reasonable for it to be ready early enough on a month to be used in other rituals.
Purifying a reagent, however, is a complex task that requires instruction and a full month.
So, you can create a Forge 4 reagent and purify it on the same turn (free action to create, full month to purify), but you need to have a Forge 6 reagent at the beginning of the month to make Blue Gold (full month to purify).

I hope you are all doing well.

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what about conditionals though, to make the Forge 4 (and maybe purify it) ONLY if we fail the Forge 6 expedition?

Edit: Anyway, with this I'm definitely leaning more toward Lantern lesson from Baldomare next turn instead of SH Sacrament. If this is the sort of action where every single AP committed will be sucked up, then it's probably also the kind of action where we really should funnel like 5 AP into it.

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5 sounds like overkill, but then again it IS very risky. It might be something like a +10 to a calming roll for every action for what we know.

I'm still leaning towards 4 at most personally.

POTENTIAL PLAN:

Velvet actions: 4 +1 (free social) + 1 (Cover your bases from Risen and Servants) + 1 (Constables) = 7 (or more, with more cover your bases)

1) Moth Sacrament
2) Grail Sacrament
3-4-5-6) Velvet. Potentially replace with (or add) a Mareinette action here.
7) possibly more Celestia defusing, but we might have other fleeting moments actions here. or Mayor Mare maybe

FREE REAGENT: Forge 4, IF we fail the expedition

Lantern 7 expedition: Axe + Cherenkolt artifact
Forge 6 Expedition: Smiles + Cherenkolt artifact
Free Smiles expedition: a Manehattan one, after Forge 6 expedition.
Free Mansus: whatever.

Selene: 1 Soothe the Night. not sure the other two. Maybe Smiles, or summoning Mare in the Lights? Or Cover Your Bases with Comet to get one more Velvet action, if we need it.

Rarity: Commission, or potentially cover your bases. or Smiles?

Jade Whistle: Cover your bases? Smiles?

Baldomare: Lantern lesson in preparation for her expedition (works well paired with summoning Mare In The Lights to send with her next turn!), or her SH Sacrament (requires a Velvet Action)



@OurLadyOfWires you already said Mareinette can help here. but would a grail influence potentially help more? I mean, do we benefit from Grail when helping here? If so +40 on 4 actions might be more significant than Mareinette helping directly.

 

[Greymere]

what about conditionals though, to make the Forge 4 (and maybe purify it) ONLY if we fail the Forge 6 expedition?

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"free action to create, full month to purify"

A long expedition is expected to take 15 days, which is already half the month gone.

 

[Pittauro]

"free action to create, full month to purify"

A long expedition is expected to take 15 days, which is already half the month gone.

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In which case, just make the forge 4 one IF the expedition fails.

Which it probably won't

 

[Greymere]

In which case, just make the forge 4 one IF the expedition fails.

Which it probably won't

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Again, the problem is not the Forge 4 reagent. It is purifying it into a Forge 6 one. If we half-ass the expedition and it fails, the result isn't "well time to purify the Forge 4 reagent" it's "we don't have a Forge 6 reagent at all". And that means we don't have a befriended Cherenkolt by the end of Turn 24.

Also, you are way too confident about our chances at clearing an expedition solo that we have zero examples for and has incredibly bad consequences for us if it fails. Especially if you want to send Smiles as the lead.

 

[Potdl]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

 

[spiderhellian]

I pretty strongly think:

1) We should send Mareinette and Axe on the Level 7 Book expedition, not just Axe + Cherenkolt. It's very important, and I think Axe solo risks too much on getting stun-locked by a social check.

2) We similarly shouldn't expect anyone to solo the Forge 6 expedition. Axe has the best shot, even that is bad.

So I do think we're deciding between pushing out Cherenkolt friendship one turn but getting the Expedition loot + saving bits immediately, vs. guaranteeing Cherenkolt friendship but needing to line up a Forge's Awakening next turn and missing out on the expedition loot.

Actually, I wonder if pre-turn, we can RotT the Forge 6 expedition..? It's kinda the decision point, when the Level 7 Book we know it's Axe (+ ?) + Cherenkolt

(Edit: Wait, is Selene/Mareinette better than Axe/Mareinette at this point? -20 on Knock, -5 on Edge, +10 on Moth, +10 on Winter, -10 on the rest? Eh with that math probably not)

Also for planning -- remember we have one free Smiles short expedition, and in general they take only one action from the leader (Everyone else can go for free). So if we can spare a follower action, it's pretty solid to make the most of this Cherenkolt-as-artefact turn.

---

Also it's not really a close vote, but I'll toss it in. I hope we can get this wrapped up soon, I'm exceedingly curious what the Moods of Mareinette will look like this turn...

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

 

[ses]

As upset as I am by the idea of delaying our SH sacrament AGAIN....

If we end up on the DoA+Mareinette=Quarry/Forge 4 plan, delaying Map's Edge just barely allows us to afford a MITL summon alongside two Manehattan expedition tickets.

150(Quarry ticket)
150(Quarry ticket)
190(Forge 6 reagent)
55(MITL)
25(Manehattan-Smiles)
25(Manehattan-Smiles)
595 total, which should be in our budget unless Rarity low-rolled her career hard.

That's +5 Lantern levels for All In, as well as an extra AP on turn 24

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

I am back at it! Trying to figure out how to tone down realism without going full cartoony.

Although I'd appreciate some pointers, having trouble visualizing the Bureau uniform and distinct looks for Evil, Paranoia and Ash.

Spoiler: Doodle

BlueSky post

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Heck yeah, artwork!

I don't know nearly enough to give feedback, but these are great. Thank you for sharing it with us!

or, you know, maybe @OurLadyOfWires would allow a conditional vote?

Do Forge 6 expedition first, IF it fails we make the reagent? Considering the single reagent is actually a free action I don't see why Velvet couldn't just wait to find out if she needs it or not. Maybe even make the forge 4 into 6 conditional if allowed.

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Nah.

Forge crafting is a free action. No need to make the turn plans complicated.

You either decide to make the Forge 4 reagent on the turn plan, with the purification lined up, or during the middle of the turn we open a quick intermittent vote to have you craft it after your expedition results (if you go on any).

I don't mind a sudden decision to craft a new reagent mid turn (if the thread so desires) as long as you all understand that Greymere has the right of it for purification.

@OurLadyOfWires you already said Mareinette can help here. but would a grail influence potentially help more? I mean, do we benefit from Grail when helping here? If so +40 on 4 actions might be more significant than Mareinette helping directly.

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As much as I would love to stretch my smut chops, you will not, in fact, fuck Celestia out of her insanity

On a less joney note. Grail won't help. If you want Mareinette to aid on that, have her "step in" as Velvet and aid Cadance as a character.

Actually, I wonder if pre-turn, we can RotT the Forge 6 expedition..? It's kinda the decision point, when the Level 7 Book we know it's Axe (+ ?) + Cherenkolt

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Yeah, that's on the books. Remind me of that during the pre-turn vote (together with Moods of Mareinette and all that). But a threshold RotT will be allowed, since you guys will probably want the info and it's reasonable to do it in short narrative notice.

 

[spiderhellian]

150(Quarry ticket)
150(Quarry ticket)
190(Forge 6 reagent)
55(MITL)
25(Manehattan-Smiles)
25(Manehattan-Smiles)
595 total, which should be in our budget unless Rarity low-rolled her career hard.

That's +5 Lantern levels for All In, as well as an extra AP on turn 24

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Thanks for the Bit Math. So if we did want to scry Forge 6 expedition, it would put us over and we'd have to cut something...

 

[Greymere]

Thanks for the Bit Math. So if we did want to scry Forge 6 expedition, it would put us over and we'd have to cut something...

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I think it's better if we just commit to making the reagent w/o spending on a RotT. If Selene rolls well during T23 and delays Celestia's Lore progression, then we can always send DoA after it on T24 for any extra goodies it allegedly has when failing on an expedition doesn't translate into potentially failing to befriend a Name in time.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Scrying also takes precious AP.

 

[ses]

I think it's better if we just commit to making the reagent w/o spending on a RotT. If Selene rolls well during T23 and delays Celestia's Lore progression, then we can always send DoA after it on T24 for any extra goodies it allegedly has when failing on an expedition doesn't translate into potentially failing to befriend a Name in time.

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Notably it's pretty likely that more Lore Introductions will let us send the Constables after a Long expedition on taxpayer dime, meaning Axe can join the expedition for only 1 AP. And we probably dont want to send the Constables raiding Celestia's basement....

Conditional on Turn 24 not being a Forced All In turn.

 

[Anjaxis]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

 

[Tech_Priest]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

 

[ses]

On a minor note.

Can we agree to read the Knock 5 book with our leftover reading action? Because, like, if we're committing to DoA+Mareinette Quarry we are not going to fail, and level 5 books come with chance of Traits. And I think we all agree at this point that we dont have the time to invest in the changeling hive.

 

[spiderhellian]

On a minor note.

Can we agree to read the Knock 5 book with our leftover reading action? Because, like, if we're committing to DoA+Mareinette Quarry we are not going to fail, and level 5 books come with chance of Traits. And I think we all agree at this point that we dont have the time to invest in the changeling hive.

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Really?

The Knock scrap seems incredibly wasteful. We've gotten one trait from book reading, and it was Level 6, wasn't it?

Hedging for upside in a world where next turn's Soothe the Sun goes well/we succeed here feels like a better play. Hedging against the very low possibility of failure by making sure we have a book.

 

[ses]

Really?

The Knock scrap seems incredibly wasteful. We've gotten one trait from book reading, and it was Level 6, wasn't it?

Hedging for upside in a world where next turn's Soothe the Sun goes well/we succeed here feels like a better play. Hedging against the very low possibility of failure by making sure we have a book.

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All level 5 and higher books that did not come from a store have a chance of extra benefits. We've only ever read 1 level 5 book and 1 level 6 book, so it's not much to say "we've only gotten one trait from book reading"

The changeling map is just plain not useful. It was dubious even when planning for a longer game.

 

[Bakkasama]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

Ok, I mostly skipped the discussion. Someone remind me, does Mayor Mare die if we don't befriend her?

 

[ses]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

Ok, I mostly skipped the discussion. Someone remind me, does Mayor Mare die if we don't befriend her?

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We need to spend a social action next turn for Mayor Mare to not get SHOVEL'd by softy's cult. We probably wont bother at this point unless we're feeling very confident about our odds on this Cadance crisis

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

[X] The Royal Apartment has become distressingly hot, to the point that even Princess Celestia's guards (ceremonial as they were) have been prohibited from approaching it. This has become the most crucial issue on Princess Cadance's agenda.

Ok, I mostly skipped the discussion. Someone remind me, does Mayor Mare die if we don't befriend her?

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She will be "negatively effected" where the quotation marks were included by the QM. An attempt to brain her with a shovel is a possibility, but not a guarantee.

 

[spiderhellian]

All level 5 and higher books that did not come from a store have a chance of extra benefits. We've only ever read 1 level 5 book and 1 level 6 book, so it's not much to say "we've only gotten one trait from book reading"

The changeling map is just plain not useful. It was dubious even when planning for a longer game.

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I think:

Chance of upside + 0 chance of major downside >>> worthless scrap + chance of trait!

 

[Flaregamer82253]

As much as I would love to stretch my smut chops, you will not, in fact, fuck Celestia out of her insanity

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Cadance: "Velvet, I don't know what to do. Celestia has lost more marbles than a foal's toybox, and I'm tripping over them right onto the fusebox. Is there anything that can make this better?"
Velvet: "Silly Cadance, allow me to teach you a lesson! When a mare has lost her marbles, it takes a firm and gentle hoof to put them back where they belong."
"Velvet": "[GRAIL]!"

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

I do sincerely hope Selene manages to Soothe properly in the coming turn. I just want to teach the Lores to our family, make a bunch of Name friends, step into alternate timelines for fun and profit, and perhaps unfuck the everything we have fucked so far. Because if she can't fix mortal problems as a mortal, how will she fix Hour tier fuckups as an Hour? It's not like she can go for double-Hour.

I feel so bad for this Equestria.

 

[Bakkasama]

Speaking of which, was the roll the result of soothing the night or does the roll happen every turn and what Soothing the night did was apply Selene's winter realization to give it a reroll?

 

[ses]

Speaking of which, was the roll the result of soothing the night or does the roll happen every turn and what Soothing the night did was apply Selene's winter realization to give it a reroll?

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She soothed the night and thus got a soothe the sun roll. Because Selene is Winter 4 now (She gained Soothe the Night for her winter realization but didn't hit Winter 4 until she finished her training and ate a Velvet AP for being taught to Lore 4) she gets a reroll. It's not complicated.

 

[Sveta08]

But pray tell, if you are willing to share, what exactly is she planning to do? The answer to that could pivot this to a delightful (if non-canon) omake.

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Well, I am quite glad folks liked it! I saw the options and was something kinda inspired.

But as for what she is planning to do, is... A complicated answer. While explaining it in full might not be as Moth colored as I wrote, I can happy answer.

A clockwork queen to reign from on high / The regalia for what would be the final day / A monument to their sins and her sister

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I was, unfortunantly, lost to the dream of reality during the portion of the quest where the Moth Book was examined, but loved loved loved the descriptions of it. The way it presented both options of how it could be interpreted as well as the overall shape of what it said, even if the answer wasn't exact.
So, like any good art, I stole a part of it here. With, a little flick and a twist.



It is not one thing the story tells about what Celestia is making. It is any one of three, all of which occupy the same shape and idea of a creation.

Celestia may be working to create a clockwork replica, metal forged like bone and fashioned like flesh. Someone to reign in her stead, for even steel would have more grace than her own mercy. And so impudent and churlish are the races of ponykind that they need a ruler. Let them have their immortal dead queen. Celestia has no love for it, being the role or creation, once more.

Celestia may be working to create her armor. Gone then is the queen of grace and charity and kindness and hope that Ponykind has known. Gone too is sweet and kind hope of her sister dearest. But ponykind clamors for answer, for succor and to be led. But no more shall she reign as she did. Gilded horseshoes traded for barding of metal and magic, built to withstand even the heat of her own sun. If Dawn must Break, then let it be in the regalia of the once and future queen of the Sun.

Celestia may be creating a monument. My previous little apocraphya spoke to my thoughts on monuments after all, so I won't repeat too much here. A statue that even should Celestia herself rend the world asunder in agony and grief and loss, never would it be marred and maimed. The Princess, her Sister, frozen eternal in a most beautiful image. May all that see it know her grief, and know their shame for being complicit in Luna's loss.

Forge. Edge. Winter. All potential aspects of what it may be that she is... creating.
But, they all say the same thing, and felt... potentially viable. Thus, left it to a Mothy color.
That Luna has gone, and the demands of Ponykind prevent Celestia from seeking her in earnest and to the exclusion of all else.
So create a final gift to be done, and go.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Spending action fixing celestial is just actions spent on not lossing.

We need need to be spending actions on winning. We should spend what actions we can on prepping this turn and just go for the win. We will have 3 names, Selene, Jade, Rarity, and some mares in the light. All with Velvet rocking several influences. That more then enough lore power to handle it.