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

[Solace2117]

???

You definitely missed something.

Click to shrink...

I see your point and actions that have specific mentions of things to do could lead to it, though I have doubts about the effectiveness of it. Honestly I'm talking more about your specific note about studying the flowers which I don't think will do anything extra and feels a little like trying to game the system.
That and I think the fact the beacon isn't actually an option even though Velvet knows where it is says a lot about it.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Scheduled vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Nov 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM, finished with 6 posts and 5 votes.

• ---

  2 people have voted

  [X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (2x), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehatten book
  -[X] Uncle Steppes has been... distant, this month. But now, he asked for a moment of your time. "Just making sure everything is in order" he said, saying he has a gift for you. (Not picking this option will still net you his gift, but without your imput)
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • Solace2117
  • Potdl

  2 people have voted

  [X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
  -[X] Level up Rarity
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • ses
  • Greymere

  1 people have voted

  [X] Follow the Plan

  • Shaper47

  1 people have voted

  [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

  • Shaper47

  1 people have voted

  [X] Follow the Plan
  -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
  --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
  -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
  --[X] Spoiled Milk
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
  -[X] Invoke a Risen
  -[X] [KNOCK] The Ashen Wastes
  --[X] [KNOCK] Tarrying in the Wastes is always a poor idea… but there is no other way to discover what this place holds.
  -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
  --[X] Challenge Biedde to a spar… this will surely hurt.
  -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
  --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
  -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
  --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
  -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
  ---[X] Study the flowers
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
  ---[X] Study the Beacon

  • Shaper47

  1 people have voted

  [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
  -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
  --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
  -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
  --[X] Spoiled Milk
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
  -[X] Invoke a Risen
  -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
  --[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow REGRETTABLE ACTION
  -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
  --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
  -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
  --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
  -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
  ---[X] Study the flowers
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
  ---[X] Study the Beacon
  -[X] Get your hoofs dirty and join the assault on Tall Tale with the Luna Bureau

  • Shaper47

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
  -[X] Talk to Cheerilee
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • Greymere

Click to shrink...

What the f...

You know what, we will just use the good old "New Tally" option when the time comes to close the vote. The auto-setting system seems to be a bit bugged. I'll bring it up in user support.

Also, all this talk about Heart scraps makes me think how very tragic it will be if the Lebel 7 book you (try to) scry turns out to be a Heart book

Anyways. I don't see any pings so I won't get in your way.

Let's all assume the vote will close "Thursday night," and we can push it further ahead if people think it's needed. But I think we have a good rythm goin on so far.

I hope you are all doing well!

 

[Greymere]

The Leash wouldn't even be needed, she can turn a stranger into a Close Friend with moderate effort, Acquaintance to Close Friend should be even easier.

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Ehh. On one hand, I feel like Spoiled Rich was a bit of an unusual situation, considering how sycophantic she is generally. On the other hand, Mayor Mare is pretty invested in our opinion, so maybe that would be enough with Mareinette's social bullshit to skip a stage.

Either way, Mareinette should be at least able to get her to Friend. If she can get her to skip a stage, great, no Leash needed. If she can't, then it'll be free once we've gotten our Moth Sacrament to Leash Mayor Mare up to Close Friend before the end of the turn to avoid her doom.

Also, all this talk about Heart scraps makes me think how very tragic it will be if the Lebel 7 book you (try to) scry turns out to be a Heart book

Click to shrink...

It would be a bit annoying, but I wouldn't really feel bad about it. Getting a befriended Name is definitely more valuable than hitting Heart 4.

 

[Alan975]

[X] Follow the Plan

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

[X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill

 

[ses]

Oh, yeah. I am a bit proud of this.

Click to shrink...

We have learned through painful experience with The Master and Windy that treating people as enemies is the best way to make an enemy.

 

[Nevermort]

[X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill

 

[IronHydra]

[X] Promises are Painful
-[X] [AOTL] Edge
-[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
-[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps
-[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book and Manehattan book
-[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 Artifact
-[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
-[X] [ACTION] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
---[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow. (Will also provide you with a Winter Sacrament)
-[X] [MANSUS] The Summit
--[X] [MANSUS] Ponder upon the Final Gate.

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

Glad this is back in business, hope your doing good everyone.

 

[DeadArkShow-e]

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

[X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...

[X] Plan Reminder, Uncle is gone

[X] Follow the Plan

I have reading it so time ago, that i forgot about common plan. And i choose most interesting plans)

 

[ses]

None of Shaper47's plans are valid plans, so voting for them makes no sense. All of them involve write-ins that have no QM approval and I would bet my left testicle aren't kosher.

@IronHydra Your plan also doesn't work, Mansus exploration is 2 mansus explores per AP spent and you only spend 1.

I suppose that's an... interesting way of going about it, subjecting us to a DC 120 test to avoid Fascination. But it might give us a lantern scrap for a half-ap? We dont actually have any idea what a mansus action revisiting an explored area will entail, but we know that exploring a Summit area again involves a DC 120 check against very real dangers. We were originally told back at the start of the quest that scraps would only be given for revisiting areas on a highroll in addition to passing the area hurdle, but we have no idea what that actually means specifically.

--[] [MANSUS] Reach for the Valley of Keys, where the snakemare of the Mansus toils for her freedom.

Click to shrink...

@OurLadyOfWires probably needs updating

 

[Greymere]

@OurLadyOfWires can you comment on the legality of using our personal AP to rejoin the Bureau's attack against the Tall Tale hive? Because I could have sworn that this topic came up before, but I can't find the conclusion.

 

[Shaper47]

None of Shaper47's plans are valid plans, so voting for them makes no sense. All of them involve write-ins that have no QM approval and I would bet my left testicle aren't kosher.

Click to shrink...

Your reaching, I don't see why there not valid but really just ask instead of making stuff up.

@OurLadyOfWires Are the write-ins in the hopes of getting a possible lantern scrap valid?

-[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
---[X] Study the flowers
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
---[X] Study the Beacon

Click to shrink...

 

[DelightedOne]

...

I feel like we had this conversation before.

DelightedOne is now under the effect of the Influence "I Have Been Here Before" (Secret Histories, +40).

 

[Random Anon]

[X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

@OurLadyOfWires probably needs updating

Click to shrink...

Thank you, I'll do it shortly.

@OurLadyOfWires can you comment on the legality of using our personal AP to rejoin the Bureau's attack against the Tall Tale hive? Because I could have sworn that this topic came up before, but I can't find the conclusion.

Click to shrink...

The easy answer is "no". You can't use a personal action to do the "Get your hooves dirty" Commissioner Action.

HOWEVER, I am amenable (if there is interest in it) for you to use a personal action to ONLY participate in the assault on Tall Tale.

See below for my discussion on Shaper's plan.

@OurLadyOfWires Are the write-ins in the hopes of getting a possible lantern scrap valid?

Click to shrink...

See below.



I'll add a vote tally here to see the ongoing plans. I'll edit this post to include my thoughts on the plans in a few minutes.
Also, quick FYI if you try to tally the votes. It was a bit of a mess, for reasons I can't explain. Had to manually join some votes together for it to make sense.

Spoiler: The vote tally

Adhoc vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Nov 18, 2025 at 11:12 PM, finished with 91 posts and 11 votes.

• ---

  4 people have voted

  [X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (2x), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehatten book
  -[X] Uncle Steppes has been... distant, this month. But now, he asked for a moment of your time. "Just making sure everything is in order" he said, saying he has a gift for you. (Not picking this option will still net you his gift, but without your imput)
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • Solace2117
  • Potdl
  • Random Anon
  • DelightedOne

  4 people have voted

  [X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
  -[X] Level up Rarity
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • ses
  • Nevermort
  • Greymere
  • Alan975

  4 people have voted

  [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
  -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
  --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
  -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
  --[X] Spoiled Milk
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
  -[X] Invoke a Risen
  -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
  --[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow REGRETTABLE ACTION
  -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
  --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
  -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
  --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
  -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
  ---[X] Study the flowers
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
  ---[X] Study the Beacon
  -[X] Get your hoofs dirty and join the assault on Tall Tale with the Luna Bureau

  • Shaper47
  • Alan975
  • IronHydra
  • DeadArkShow-e

  3 people have voted

  [X] Follow the Plan
  -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
  --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
  -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
  --[X] Spoiled Milk
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
  -[X] Invoke a Risen
  -[X] [KNOCK] The Ashen Wastes
  --[X] [KNOCK] Tarrying in the Wastes is always a poor idea… but there is no other way to discover what this place holds.
  -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
  --[X] Challenge Biedde to a spar… this will surely hurt.
  -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
  --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
  -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
  --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
  -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
  ---[X] Study the flowers
  --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
  ---[X] Study the Beacon

  • Shaper47
  • Alan975
  • DeadArkShow-e

  2 people have voted

  [X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...
  -[X] (AotL) Edge
  -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
  -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
  -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
  -[X] Talk to Cheerilee
  -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

  • Greymere
  • DeadArkShow-e

  2 people have voted

  [X] Plan Reminder, Uncle is gone
  -[X] [AOTL] Edge
  -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
  -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book Lantern 4 artifact
  -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
  -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament
  -[X] Uncle Steppes FO

  • DelightedOne
  • DeadArkShow-e

  2 people have voted

  [X] Promises are Painful
  -[X] [AOTL] Edge
  -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps
  -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book and Manehattan book
  -[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 artifact
  -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
  -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
  ---[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow. (Will also provide you with a Winter Sacrament)
  -[X] [MANSUS] The Summit
  --[X] [MANSUS] Ponder upon the Final Gate.

  • IronHydra
  • Shaper47

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan Reminder, Light and Cold
  -[X] [AOTL] Edge
  -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
  -[X] [STUDY] (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehattan book
  -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
  -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament

  • DelightedOne

  1 people have voted

  [X] Plan Reminder, Moth Superior
  -[X] [AOTL] Edge
  -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
  -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
  -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book
  -[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 artifact
  -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
  -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament

  • DelightedOne

About the legality of the current plans:

Spoiler: Relatively long spoilers

"Goodbye Uncle Steppes" looks fine.
Also, as a rule, I appreciate the studying option just listing things in order of priority. Makes it easier for everyone. If there are any vote slots remaining because you breezed through the books I can just open a quick vote to decide what to study next. And if you run out of study actions due to bad rolls we all know what was left undone.

"The Blade and the Crimson Quill" looks fine.
Remember Rarity stops being a minion if she reaches your Grail level though. Not a problem, just a reminder.

"Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon"
THIS PLAN CONTAINS A REGRETTABLE ACTION
Please take the Regrettable Action off the invisitext. I wanna make sure everyone knows what they are voting for.

Spoiler: Plan is legal, but please read these notes

Also, it's fine to specify you want to invoke a risen, but that's not really necessary. (All plans will auto-invoke one if you find a dead body. I cant fathom another use for dead bodies at this point of the quest).

Furthermore, to clarify, the Wolf Sacrament can be done with the Free Mansus Action. So that's not a problem either.

However, I'll clarify the write-in for "Get Your Hooves Dirty".

I will be honest. If there is public interest in it, I can be amenable for you to spend an entire personal action to ONLY participate in the assault on Tall Tale. But hear me out.
"Getting your hooves dirty" is a cumbersome task that involves you personally joining the Constables and Detectives for the full month. It means accompanying detectives all over Equestria, going to preparatory briefings with the assault teams, etc:

-[] [COMMISSIONER] Get your hoofs dirty. (Participate in the "Investigators" and "Constables" actions.)

Click to shrink...

You don't have time to do that, even with a personal action. Because you will already be busy with your own Commissioner and Director actions.
However, since you can use a personal action to go on a short expedition, I can allow you to use an entire personal action to ONLY join the Constables in assaulting the Hive. I'll consider it as if you went on a "free" expedition at the same time and place that the assault takes place.
So, this write-in is fine. It will NOT be a "Get your hooves dirty" in the full extent of the word. But it can be a "join the assault" action.

Finally, I... guess you can check out Baldomare's beacon? It might not have the result you are expecting, but sure.
However, I will not accept the write-in for the Blank Plains. Pick a location to visit and commit to it.

"Follow the Plan" looks fine. But see above for the Mansus write-ins.

"An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk into a bar..." seems fine.

"Reminder, Uncle is gone" seems fine.

"Promises are Painful" is fine, however-
THIS PLAN CONTAINS A REGRETTABLE ACTION
Please add a note about the Regrettable Action.
But note, I see it as "three study actions and one Mansus action". And the two Mansus actions is one for The Summit and one for The Wolf.

"Reminder, Light and Cold" seems fine.

"Reminder, Moth Superior" seems fine. And it has almost no difference to "Reminder, Light and Cold"

Finally, my major concern with the plans is whether they have "Four personal actions, one social action, one Mansus exploration and the AOTL pick". The AOTL pick has been exclusively Edge so far, so I wouldn't even mind if a plan did not include it.

Furthermore, most write-ins seem fine.

And if a plan has a Regrettable Action, please include it in all-caps on a visible location. I love the Wolf as much as the next person, but I will be the first to respect the fact most people don't want to vote for it.

Hope you are all doing well. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

 

[Shaper47]

You can neglect your work to gain more personal AP. But you already dedicate yourself to the Bureau "as much as you can". So you can't join the Tall Tale assault simply because you will be performing your other Commissioner actions at the same time that the attack is being prepared and taking place.

Click to shrink...

Hmm, noted.

Editing it into a personal expedition.