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

[ses]

All-In could easily be "Pass a CD 200 check of each lore type in sequence, then fight a dozen monsters, then fight Discord". It's the Final Dungeon and presumably balanced around the idea of having [BEFRIENDED] a bunch of Names as well as having a small army of generic summons as well as a treasure trove of Artifacts from expeditions. If we're not walking in with a combined 20 lore levels in every single lore from lore+names+summons+artifacts we're not even started on being slightly prepared.

Making the Bureau into an asset will help us beat it, because presumably we unlock nifty goodies like "the Bureau trusts us enough to let us use the loot from expeditions we send the constables on for undefined Reasons that we assure them is for the best", or lets us get that Cadre bonus back for rituals, or otherwise lets us dip back into the entire writeup the QM made of Cult Infrastructure bonuses that hasn't been used in ages.

Heck, the Detectives action has had the option for "find Expedition sites for you to plunder" from literally day 1, and surely they get more useful from there with investment.

 

[Shaper47]

Making the Bureau into an asset will help us beat it,

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I heavily doubt this.

 

[DelightedOne]

[Windigo suffers two wounds (-100 to Bureau's overflow)]

[The Windigo has been defeated]

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Velvet is amazing. And only one wounded pony even.

In the aftermath of this feat, Velvet Covers was able to introduce one of the Lores to the Lunar Bureau.

Velvet Covers has crafted the Level 1 Manuscript "Institutional Knowledge: Monster Hunting Techniques". It has been added to the Secret Library, and it has introduced the Lunar Bureau to the Lore of Edge.

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YES! YES! Lores for the Bureau! Manuscripts for the Secret Library!

Because asking her to kill her own children is something of a deal breaker for her.

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If Velvet considered the Sons her family they would be in the family section of our contact list since it is from her point of view. They aren't even on the contact list so you can guess how important they are to her.

What's really interesting is the small effect Harmony had on the Wendigo.... I wonder, Could Harmony heal the Taint upon the soul in that case (I doubt it)? I do agree we should consolidate, but it's an interesting subject to note, and would be interesting to look into should we have enough AP to do so.

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The Elements definitely could but... Magic isn't really available.

 

[Fouredged]

Was it Harmony or was it Heart?

Ponies have an innate Heart afterall just look at their sacrifice benefits.



Even if it could do something would Velvet agree to it?

Because asking her to kill her own children is something of a deal breaker for her.

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Yes, but that is exactly the nature of dealing with the wolf. Every interaction causes harm, even healing. A wolf based wound being healed only does so in the most painful and harmful way possible.

 

[ses]

Also fun fact: Velvet did exactly 100 points of damage, while the rest of the team did 95 (two of which was Paperflank's). Your choice to look at that as "Velvet did as much as the rest of the team combined" or "It's nice that both Velvet and the mooks contributed equally with neither stealing the show from the other in the cool fight scene" depending on where your anchors are. Obviously this fight was only possible because outnumbering penalties are brutal though. We would have gotten our ass kicked if we had tried that without -30(Outnumbered) and no Influence. It's still hilarious that [A Resolution] was probably still better than the entire team of six combat-focused but mundane fighters with their outnumber penalties if we had the ability to choose.

 

[BritBiscuit]

This was a great update but there is one tragedy in it that needs to be rectified.
The squad didn't get any medals and they really deserve some especially Paperflank for 1v1 ing a Windigo for a round.

But yeah the writing in this fight and the buildup to it were incredible nice job OurLadyInWires.

 

[Sveta08]

How fun!
Murderers, everyone. Knowing the weight she brought them.

Also, makes me laugh.
Our Lapdog may have a use some time later then.

 

[Nevermort]

Better to wait until we get Edge sacrament, as we would be able to write higher level mansucripts.

Although where is Bieddie and his bonus to library's Edge?

 

[DelightedOne]

Although where is Bieddie and his bonus to library's Edge?

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I actually asked this once. Never really got an answer though, so it is either a clue that Biedde is plotting or Bird just forgot about it.

Also isn't the Edge level of the Library supposed to be 2 now we have a level 1 Manuscript?

 

[AuthorTransient]

Speaking of Bird forgetting, I would like to point out that Paperflank used +29 in place of +11 during his one turn stand, so it's either that there's been a mistake (and Paperflank is supposed to take 2 wounds instead) or that it was some sort of Harmony bullshit that had him use Velvet Covers' combat bonus.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

C'mon Biedde, be friendlier to us now. We're the head of secret police and a monster hunter now, you gotta love this. We even put them all on the path of Edge! Your favorite Lore!

 

[spiderhellian]

Well that was badass. Loved it. I was so tempted to scroll through the rolls to see how it went before reading thoroughly, but I'm glad I didn't. A really nice and dramatic scene!

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

It's still hilarious that [A Resolution] was probably still better than the entire team of six combat-focused but mundane fighters with their outnumber penalties if we had the ability to choose.

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[A Resolution] is only a +40, which numerically is only 10 better than slapping a -30 on someone. It has no other benefits, while a team of six combat-focused but mundane fighters gave us a pool of 18 Additional Wounds and 6 more instances of damage-seeking every round of combat. They are quite a bit better than [A Resolution].

 

[Zxzx24]

Also fun fact: Velvet did exactly 100 points of damage, while the rest of the team did 95 (two of which was Paperflank's). Your choice to look at that as "Velvet did as much as the rest of the team combined" or "It's nice that both Velvet and the mooks contributed equally with neither stealing the show from the other in the cool fight scene" depending on where your anchors are. Obviously this fight was only possible because outnumbering penalties are brutal though. We would have gotten our ass kicked if we had tried that without -30(Outnumbered) and no Influence. It's still hilarious that [A Resolution] was probably still better than the entire team of six combat-focused but mundane fighters with their outnumber penalties if we had the ability to choose.

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I am glad we didn't job. They helped and we got to flex.

As far as fights go this pretty much the best possible outcome.

They had the danger impressed on them. No one died. We showed off. And somehow our Bureau standing continues to climb.

Speaking of Bird forgetting, I would like to point out that Paperflank used +29 in place of +11 during his one turn stand, so it's either that there's been a mistake (and Paperflank is supposed to take 2 wounds instead) or that it was some sort of Harmony bullshit that had him use Velvet Covers' combat bonus.

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Maybe.

Maybe...

 

[BritBiscuit]

So whilst rereading this update because it is a really good fight scene I've gained a question, not one of importance to mechanics or narrative but a fun one.
Did Velvet Covers go into this fight with a borrowed set of strike team armour or did she rock up to a battle with a monster of myth wearing a dress uniform like a Commisar from 40k?
Because either way its pretty cool, on the one hand we have Commissioner Velvet Covers in full plate riding a Windigo as she strangles the existance outta it or we have the cool confidence of her taking point ahead of those more heavily armoured.

 

[AuthorTransient]

Can you imagine being in Beyond Reproach's position and ideology, though? You suspect your commissioner of crimes, but then she goes out there and her reputation keeps climbing. You check her ledgers and it's both a relief and a pain that it looks like they are clean, because maybe you could forgive embezzling and/or conflict of interest if most of it is still going towards Esquestria's protection, but your cutie mark keeps niggling at you that something is wrong, and you know for a fact that she burnt evidence and it's just a bunch of puzzle pieces that are so far apart you can't even begin to imagine the big picture. And then if you do, and you find out she is a traitor, what then?

But that is still better than the alternative that you wish you hadn't thought about... because what if she isn't? What if this was the best result already? What if she's been trying her best to keep her hands clean, and still so many have died? What then? What will you do, Roach?

 

[ses]

Rereading thread discussion and decisions and dear god would I have just fired off an EiB at Velvet Hill back on turn 12 if it were up to me. I absolutely would have voted for the RA to Wolf-Word him later on if that had been offered.

Man the entire fixation the thread had on the idea that the level 6 Lantern book was some ultra critical setting metaplot information and that we indispensably needed to learn about the Intercalate for reasons is just so frustrating to read through. It was just an ordinary level 6 book.

So whilst rereading this update because it is a really good fight scene I've gained a question, not one of importance to mechanics or narrative but a fun one.
Did Velvet Covers go into this fight with a borrowed set of strike team armour or did she rock up to a battle with a monster of myth wearing a dress uniform like a Commisar from 40k?
Because either way its pretty cool, on the one hand we have Commissioner Velvet Covers in full plate riding a Windigo as she strangles the existance outta it or we have the cool confidence of her taking point ahead of those more heavily armoured.

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This is an extremely important question and I dearly need to know the answer to this as well.

Can you imagine being in Beyond Reproach's position and ideology, though? You suspect your commissioner of crimes, but then she goes out there and her reputation keeps climbing. You check her ledgers and it's both a relief and a pain that it looks like they are clean, because maybe you could forgive embezzling and/or conflict of interest if most of it is still going towards Esquestria's protection, but your cutie mark keeps niggling at you that something is wrong, and you know for a fact that she burnt evidence and it's just a bunch of puzzle pieces that are so far apart you can't even begin to imagine the big picture. And then if you do, and you find out she is a traitor, what then?

But that is still better than the alternative that you wish you hadn't thought about... because what if she isn't? What if this was the best result already? What if she's been trying her best to keep her hands clean, and still so many have died? What then? What will you do, Roach?

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Of course we chose to fistfight a Windigo! We needed that Bureau street cred on account of all the treason we do!

I still absolutely love the line back during the [BLACKMAIL MATERIAL] vote that was posted "No one betrays the crown and gets away with it, except me!"

Honestly I still wonder about the potential efficacy of spending Tapestry rituals on getting even more of that juicy [BLACKMAIL MATERIAL]. Like, that's how Copper's cult gathered all that 700 bits of material we stole right? How much profit Team Velvet produce if we just dedicated MITLs to firing off scrys aimed at making more of it after we start dedicating Selene to producing MITLs? Considering how valuable the material we jacked from Copper was I'm pretty sure it's actually an extremely powerful source of goodies.

Imagine the future where Selene and her MITLs end up producing more detective work than the Bureau put together sustainably.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

So whilst rereading this update because it is a really good fight scene I've gained a question, not one of importance to mechanics or narrative but a fun one.
Did Velvet Covers go into this fight with a borrowed set of strike team armour or did she rock up to a battle with a monster of myth wearing a dress uniform like a Commisar from 40k?
Because either way its pretty cool, on the one hand we have Commissioner Velvet Covers in full plate riding a Windigo as she strangles the existance outta it or we have the cool confidence of her taking point ahead of those more heavily armoured.

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This is actually really funny.

I wondered about the same thing myself. I even wrote, and discarded, a segment where a soldier said he couldnt in good consciousness let the Commissioner fight because "fragile noblemare". As well as Paperflank's own thoughts on whatever she was dressing.

But betweem her uniform, armor, and her literal everyday noble dress, i couldnt decide.

So, like any frustrating occult writer would, i purposefully did not comment on it at all.
What was she wearing? Well, I know, and there is only one correct answer. But you will never know what that is!

This is a canonical unresolved ambiguity in Esquestria lore now

(Fitting for your Brand, I suppose)

 

[ses]

This is actually really funny.

I wondered about the same thing myself. I even wrote, and discarded, a segment where a soldier said he couldnt in good consciousness let the Commissioner fight because "fragile noblemare". As well as Paperflank's own thoughts on whatever she was dressing.

But betweem her uniform, armor, and her literal everyday noble dress, i couldnt decide.

So, like any frustrating occult writer would, i purposefully did not comment on it at all.
What was she wearing? Well, I know, and there is only one correct answer. But you will never know what that is!

This is a canonical unresolved ambiguity in Esquestria lore now

(Fitting for your Brand, I suppose)

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Personally I always imagined her Commissioner outfit to be a play on Thatcher's iconic blue outfit and pearl necklace, especially when she's in full Scary Commissioner mode and that was what I was imagining here.

Also, Knock 5 perk when?

And then if you do, and you find out she is a traitor, what then?

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Then we play the divine moon revelations card! It's a good card! It doesn't help against Celestia but if she didn't want us playing it on our underlings she shouldn't have explicitly put Luna above herself in our chain of command in her Royal Decree.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Oh my goodness we have library mechanics to actually care about again now. Quick Baldomare, rewrite all our manuscripts into some other pony's hoofwriting so that we can just sprinkle them into the Bureau.

Also the Bureau is going to start dreaming. And their first inclination upon meeting Ash's denizens will be to hit them due to Edge.

I wonder if Ash would consider it some needlessly brutal form of delousing.

 

[dcoconeo]

It's this kind of rewards that make me want the quest to slow down and commit to building up this instituition properly instead of climbing the Mansus. The idea of an organisation dedicated to protecting the Kingdom from the dangers of the Lores created by the very Pony causing said dangers from the Lores is so fascinating.

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Securing Glory is the only way to ensure that our positive actions don't get crushed under the weight of Worms, or of the weight of other less ideal methods of resolving the problem of Worms?

And likewise writing Manuscripts is an absolute waste of our time that we could've used to prepare harder - imagine if we end up having to fight Bureau guards at All In?

To be more precise, you are currently in one of the rooms that lead to the underground vault where certain pieces of art were stored, while not on display.

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Edit:
Amazing: Neighnia used to be here?

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Securing Glory is the only way to ensure that our positive actions don't get crushed under the weight of Worms, or of the weight of other less ideal methods of resolving the problem of Worms?

And likewise writing Manuscripts is an absolute waste of our time that we could've used to prepare harder - imagine if we end up having to fight Bureau guards at All In?

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Why would we fight Bureau guards at All In? Selene would be with us, and Luna could just order them to stand down.

I agree that writing more manuscripts is rather wasteful though, we have a fair stock of stuff already written and waiting to be laundered, after all.

 

[dcoconeo]

Selene would be with us, and Luna could just order them to stand down.

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I mean, there is a non-zero chance we will be having Luna deal with an angry Celestia down the line (and she will then order the Bureau / Eclipse to stop us)?

I don't actually think fighting the Bureau is likely, but it is very much a possible.
And if Laundering was so easy that it did not take actions, we would not have needed to destroy that evidence?

 

[DelightedOne]

And if Laundering was so easy that it did not take actions, we would not have needed to destroy that evidence?

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Destroying that evidence wasn't about laundering the lores, it was about making sure nopony would realize the Comissioner's hoofwriting in a bunch of creepy magic instructions used by a gang(from their pov). Very different situations.

You check her ledgers and it's both a relief and a pain that it looks like they are clean, because maybe you could forgive embezzling and/or conflict of interest if most of it is still going towards Esquestria's protection

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That made me laugh, because from all that Velvet did(or didn't do) not stealing money making her look better is hilarious.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

I mean, there is a non-zero chance we will be having Luna deal with an angry Celestia down the line (and she will then order the Bureau / Eclipse to stop us)?

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Unfortunately for Celestia, she established Luna as above her when it came to the chain of command for the Bureau, so in the event of Luna revealing herself prior to any All-in she would just countermand that order.

If we're fighting any pony organization it would be Eclipse, or more accurately whatever Eclipse had summoned at that time in their studies of the Mansus. Or, more mundanely, the Royal Guard.

Edited: I corrected the first instance of "Eclipse" to "Bureau."

 

[Bakkasama]

Unfortunately for Celestia, she established Luna as above her when it came to the chain of command for Eclipse, so in the event of Luna revealing herself prior to any All-in she would just countermand that order.

If we're fighting any pony organization it would be Eclipse, or more accurately whatever Eclipse had summoned at that time in their studies of the Mansus. Or, more mundanely, the Royal Guard.

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Luna is above Celestia for the Lunar Bureau but we don't know anything about Eclipse's chain of command.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Luna is above Celestia for the Lunar Bureau but we don't know anything about Eclipse's chain of command.

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I meant to say Bureau for the first paragraph, oops.

 

[AuthorTransient]

Truth was, the game was in the wrong shape from the start.

 

[ses]

Why would we fight Bureau guards at All In? Selene would be with us, and Luna could just order them to stand down.

I agree that writing more manuscripts is rather wasteful though, we have a fair stock of stuff already written and waiting to be laundered, after all.

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We might get a chance to use Commissioner actions on it though, and Commissioner actions have been a little use-impaired lately. (I will never stop being salty about investing an action into running into a brick wall with Midday Dew despite that iron being ice cold)

Unfortunately for Celestia, she established Luna as above her when it came to the chain of command for the Bureau, so in the event of Luna revealing herself prior to any All-in she would just countermand that order.

If we're fighting any pony organization it would be Eclipse, or more accurately whatever Eclipse had summoned at that time in their studies of the Mansus. Or, more mundanely, the Royal Guard.

Edited: I corrected the first instance of "Eclipse" to "Bureau."

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Very funny but I don't think that line will hold up if Celestia is already angry and declaring Velvet a traitor. It's a much better card to play earlier during the "Here's why you should keep secrets from Celestia and still consider it to be the Lawful Good thing to do" when onboarding Roach into the whole "we secretly have Luna on-side" thing.

That said the whole idea doesn't really make sense. It's a Vault in the CS sense, not a declaration of war against Celestia. The danger is very clearly intended to be from the vault itself.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Very funny but I don't think that line will hold up against a Celestia who is already reciting the Formula Fissive. It's a much better card to play earlier during the "Here's why you should keep secrets from Celestia and still consider it to be the Lawful Good thing to do" when onboarding Roach into the whole "we secretly have Luna on-side" thing.

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Well of course it won't dissuade Celestia, but we're talking about Bureau Agents here, not angry alicorns.