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

[angelsadvocate666]

Well. That happened.

 

[Greymere]

Never. We destroyed it.

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That assumes that the Heirlooms are Level 7 artifacts and not their own thing. Thinking that Level 7 artifact = Heirloom is literally complete speculation.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

That assumes that the Heirlooms are Level 7 artifacts and not their own thing. Thinking that Level 7 artifact = Heirloom is literally complete speculation.

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I mean, there's a reason I put an emoji there…

 

[Shaper47]

Velvet Covers will no longer be able to gain any scraps of Edge until she attains Sacrament.

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Given how our SH sacrament works we should go get an Edge Sacrament next turn so we don't waste any edge scraps.

 

[Iustus Vitea]

but we have no assurances whatsoever that the Canterlot lead is the only Outsider in existence. Somepony might just get lucky.

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We do though, like sure Bird hasn't out right said it's the only lead but saying we could spend a life time trying to find another and fail is as good as.

The reestablishment I mentioned is that of the system of the Hours, that corrupt, cruel and sometimes plain crazy thing that made the World a much less pleasant place to live in(and it was a Lantern Name that said that).

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That's because of who the Hours were. If better people rise to the station a better system you would have.

The Thunderskin's ascension from a Name to an Hour was extremely unorthodox, as he came through the Tricuspid gate which is not at all the proper method. But it did work, and so set precedent, thus whatever Luna is by dint of being an Outsider she still has a right to use the same path.

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The Thunderskin did not ascend through the Tricuspid Gate what are you talking about? It was through the Peacock Door he came, the highest mortals may rise within the Mansus.

Also, I wonder if Harmony lovers are going to regret the Influence now.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

And also that, once this is over, there is a chance you will no longer be the kind of pony who regrets having done this.

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You know, I find it very interesting how the Influence cuts away Velvet's regret. Sure, it seems mostly targeted at the regret about asking for it in the first place, but…

Well. Cutting Regret could have much greater meaning to Velvet in particular at some point.

 

[Sveta08]

You know, I find it very interesting how the Influence cuts away Velvet's regret. Sure, it seems mostly targeted at the regret about asking for it in the first place, but…

Well. Cutting Regret could have much greater meaning to Velvet in particular at some point.

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Eh, it's not regret.
Or, rather, it's not only regret.

It's indecision. Hesitation. Pauses. Uncertainty.
Every step and every word that don't change the path taken.
Every instant between where you are and where you are going that isn't moving.
Every time you let who you are get in the way from what you need to do... It helps lessen that burden.
It makes it easier.
Next time.


This, is why I wanted Biedde to assist in finding the Outsider in Canterlot. This is going to be a valuable lesson. Like when she sank too deep into the calming Winter Pool when writing her father.
Only it is going to last much, much longer.
By definition this will be useful. It will be practical. But the things it costs will be... Not in bits. Not in actions. Not in friends or companions or time or allies or plans. It's just...

It's useful. It's a mistake. It's a useful mistake that we will get the most from it.
I don't recommend repeating this.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

I wonder what happens if we perform a Regrettable Action while under the knife that cuts away regret. Does the knife cut too deeply and swiftly, killing us? Does the Wolf shatter the blade with merciless Winter? Do we get caught in a perpetual soul-knifing loop that mirrors the Wolf's own eternal marring? Let's not find out.

 

[Shaper47]

I wonder what happens if we perform a Regrettable Action while under the knife that cuts away regret. Does the knife cut too deeply and swiftly, killing us? Does the Wolf shatter the blade with merciless Winter? Do we get caught in a perpetual soul-knifing loop that mirrors the Wolf's own eternal marring? Let's not find out.

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Blood is the currency of the world, the paint that shapes the Manus. So I suppose our wolf blood would shape the Knife with our regret. Subversion of edge with whatever principle the wolf stains are.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

Okay, just to remind people, Influences do not punish us. Do we really need to have that conversation again?

 

[Cochimetl]

This might be a good thing. I hesitate to call it healthy, but Velvet regrets a lot, and not all of it is justified.

I feel she has never really been held back by her regrets, doing what she felt needed to be done anyway, but by the same token, they never helped her either. That she would feel regret if she didn't wasn't the reason she tried to do right by people.

So I view this as a strange form of therapy, with a tool that can see her inner voice putting her down and get her to shut it up.

That it snips away at the soul to do so may seem dangerous, but I feel it's neglible compared to the three massive corrosive toxic wolf bloodstains already on it.


But maybe not do any Regrettable Actions while under this Influence?

 

[Iustus Vitea]

Maybe let's not do any regrettable actions ever at all?

 

[K4lepo]

It's a good thing Velvet already removed the Frightened Trait otherwise she would've expected a lot more paper cuts on her Soul.

 

[Random Anon]

"Naturally, this knife will harm your body. It will only cut away the things you do not need"

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Maybe "won't" fits better here?

 

[Rafuki22]

She said that she thought the two of would get along well,"

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the two of us?

well.?

 

[Bakkasama]

The beginings of this update reminded me of turn 19 results part one but I am unsure whether the point was to show us that our servants continued to fill our office in across the month or that the contents of the room are different and there is some SH nonsense going on.

 

[Pittauro]

You really are, right now, at your home and doing nothing.

Is that really so surprising?

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YES!

And you… you actually force yourself to sit up. You force yourself to think of him as what he truly is.

Not as a guest. Not as an old stallion. Not as a visiting grandfather.

But as the most dangerous creature who you have ever seen walk the Wake. Something that should make you feel afraid, and that is all the more terrifying for the fact that he manages not to.

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well, as he himself said, we're his employer. and an employer should NOT be scared of their employees.

If we ever let him go, though...

but yeah, only creature potentially more dangerous would be Mareinette or maaaybe Celestia.

oh, I suppose the Master too, but only because he was not "holding back".

"I had the opportunity to visit your uncle, and during our conversation he mentioned he was writing you a letter. So, I offered to deliver it to you," he says simply.

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I do NOT remember that happening in that conversation

Is this the moment Velvet finds out her uncle is a mafia boss?!

...probably not.

"Yes, yes, your daughter mentioned him a few days ago. She said that she thought the two of would get along well," he says with a smile, letting out a soft chuckle as he speaks. "We had a very interesting conversation."

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I think you meant "two of us". And... I don't think Steppes would agree. at least while Biedde is not present.

You care about your uncle, of course. But if Biedde is not giving you any more details, and if he isn't reporting to you that he did anything troublesome, you are better off not getting on his way.

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probably wiser, yeah.

And of course, most of the hub-dub I hear echo the same questions that I have! As in: how did you get appointed? What is your connection to the Princesses? What do you plan for the future? And most importantly, how can I get a piece of that pie?

I joke, I joke, don't worry about that last one.

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It would be problematic if too much attention went to him after all...

Oh, now that I think of it, I don't think anypony has hosted a ball or a gathering (in the noble circles, that is) ever since the Bluebloods were taken away. That in itself says a lot, but that also means the higher crust of Equestria had little chance to mingle and talk, other than through the very rare personal visits to each other's mansions.

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uh. I suppose they're too nervous and busy to bother with the usual games?

Well, I'll stop babbling about that. I'd hate to bore you with my own speculations. The same applies to the Solar Court, of course. But I have a different lot less contact with the law, so I don't really have many feelers on that Fair Trial mare. Most of us ponies are waiting to see how she treats the Bluebloods before we jump to any conclusions.

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he was slipping a bit there! And yeah, a different relationship with the law indeed!

For example, you can sense a lot of hesitation on this letter, for some reason. Of course, you don't think your uncle is hiding anything from you, and you certainly don't think he is lying to you.

Why would he ever do that?

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Velvet, please!

she's truly and absurdly BLIND to her Uncle's... business.


In a way she is NOT about ANYTHING ELSE!

And once again, you almost fall for the trap of waving him away. Your emotional, almost instinctual side, almost nods for him to leave as if he was just a butler who had just brought you tea.

It is almost scary, the fact that you are still not scared of him.

No, it is definitely scary. Because, your rational side almost drags this thought to the forefront of your mind, he is doing this on purpose.

This is intentional.

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I'll be honest: I'd probably just ask him. Just to hear him say WHY we're not afraid of him.

It would probably be something along the lines of "It's a poor employee that scares their employer", but I'd still like to hear him say it...

"Are you sure about that?" he asks, his tone nothing but polite.

And for all that you don't feel like you are in danger, you begin to realize that you should feel that way.

Your throat begins to dry up, and the beating of your heart turns into that of a drum.

But still, for some maddening reason, you can tell all those reactions are being forced into your body by the rational side of your brain.

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Are you sure you about that?

Polite words, and yet so laden with meaning and warning...

The sensation that your mind is splitting into two sides, and that they are battling each other, is almost disorienting.

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uh.

now that I think about it, this inner conflict is... very edge.

"I will give you what you need, my employer. But I have a few words of warning for you."

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they're honestly appreciated... I think.

"This is a rather special knife," he says. "If you try to remove it, it will cut you. If you regret having asked for it, it will cut you. And most important of all, if you ever hesitate, about anything at all in your life while you wear it, it will cut you."

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Interesting. VERY interesting. Is it to put us in the right mindset?

And it is all you can do not to yell. It takes all of your willpower to bite down with your teeth, to stop yourself from saying anything.

However-

!​

-you immediately feel a twinge of pain coming from somewhere in your chest. As if you had just been prickled by the tip of a knife.

It is something very small. Almost like a warning. A reminder that you should not regret, not complain, not even think about turning back on this decision you just made.

Even though you already regr-

!!​

-donotregreteveraskinghimtodothisforyou.

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Ah. It's CONDITIONING.

give us a day or two, and we'll either stop regretting and hesitating, or we'll likely be dead, really.

"And lest I forget, I should also warn you about something else," he finishes. "Naturally, this knife will harm your body. It will only cut away the things you do not need."

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I think you meant "will NOT harm your body.

This knife, or this talisman he just gave you, it is stabbing at your soul. Following the ironclad belief of that stallion, that what is useless should be cut away and that scars are lessons, this knife is going to cut away little pieces of your soul. Trimming you like a tree, whenever it spots weakness or hesitation. Chiseling you like a statue, into a shape that is less weak and merciful.

And that terrifies you-

!!!!​

-although with each painful twinge, you can already tell that it terrifies you a little bit less.

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...worse and better than conditioning. It's explicitly shaping us. Cutting away what's unnecessary.

...that's kind of terrifying, in a way no influence has been since the Moth 4 was forced on us while unprepared.

The Colonel's lessons are always learned, even if they leave scars. Especially if they leave scars.

Velvet Covers is now under the effect of "A Resolution". It will fade at the end of the current turn.

Since this is the first time Velvet Covers has experienced the highest degree of an Edge Influence, she has gained two scraps of Edge. Velvet Covers will no longer be able to gain any scraps of Edge until she attains Sacrament.

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well, we got what we wished for.

Velvet is probably wishing she had different wishes before though.

Given how our SH sacrament works we should go get an Edge Sacrament next turn so we don't waste any edge scraps.

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you do realize next turn the edge influence will have already faded, right?

We'll have to ask it again.

I wonder what happens if we perform a Regrettable Action while under the knife that cuts away regret. Does the knife cut too deeply and swiftly, killing us? Does the Wolf shatter the blade with merciless Winter? Do we get caught in a perpetual soul-knifing loop that mirrors the Wolf's own eternal marring? Let's not find out.

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that's an interesting thought, and ideally we will NOT find out!

 

[Gyldir]

Velvet, please!

she's truly and absurdly BLIND to her Uncle's... business.


In a way she is NOT about ANYTHING ELSE!

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Probably trauma based.
I'd bet the incident that left her scarred, traumatized, and disregarded by her father is related to the... hidden business of her family.
Probably being introduced into it and failing, getting injured.


So all the things she should see, should realize about her Uncles business, they all get shoved into the same locked room in her mind that contains the memories of what happened. All shoved there by a part of her mind going "nope, Velvet is NOT ready to deal with that".

you do realize next turn the edge influence will have already faded, right?

We'll have to ask it again.

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I think he is speculating about our SH Sacrament giving us Edge scraps, which would be wasted if we do not have an Edge Sacrament to get to lvl 5.

 

[spiderhellian]

Very cool update. And I enjoy how Velvet ran into some of the same surprise I did with how non-threatening Biedde feels!

For example, you can sense a lot of hesitation on this letter, for some reason. Of course, you don't think your uncle is hiding anything from you, and you certainly don't think he is lying to you.

Why would he ever do that?

But still, you can feel there is something off about your uncle. You quickly conclude this feeling is due to the fact he is swamped by his work, as he said, but still… you truly hope he is doing alright

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I wonder if this is him keeping the mafia side away from us, the presence of Biedde as he writes, or if it's Copper…

The beginings of this update reminded me of turn 19 results part one but I am unsure whether the point was to show us that our servants continued to fill our office in across the month or that the contents of the room are different and there is some SH nonsense going on.

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It's sort of just depicting the way our servants are helping with the Cover Your Bases action, I think.

Influences do not punish us.

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Well, they can shape the narrative, even if they don't shape the voting. I think it's valid if this is a knife people don't want to see Velvet bear.

But yeah, we'll definitely need it again!

 

[Sveta08]

Okay, just to remind people, Influences do not punish us. Do we really need to have that conversation again?

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I am usually very careful in the words I use. In the shaping of both implication and way things can be read.
I did not say this is a punishment. Nor that it will punish Velvet. Nor that it should be seen as a punishment.

I did say it was a mistake.
The same way having Soft Sweeps be used for the Lantern Sacrament would be a mistake. If, on a much smaller scale.

This is useful, effective, and will help Velvet do what is set before her to do.
But again, I do not recommend doing this often.



I think, the least clean but most complete way to put it is like this.
When The Master had Copper hunt for ponies gifted in the way of Edge, there were few and less to be found. That wasn't a good thing. But it also wasn't a bad thing.
It meant that there were few people who had that kind of aim. That sensation. That willingness to lay aside themselves to be a tool. A knife.
Things like this are why Comet found himself sheltered in the midst of a hardly functional house, eating and hardly taking care of himself.
He had shelter. The rest of it's accoutrements were cut away. He had food. The rest of it's gentleness was cut away. He had purpose.

So no. This is not a punishment. And it will do exactly what is needed, give Velvet a lens into the world of Edge, and the life Comet may have had to endure.
But again, I do not recommend doing this often.

 

[Venerable Ro]

It is worth noting that this will likely be an invaluable protection in the depths of The Cathedral, but yes, making a habit of this would make us something less than what we are, by definition.

 

[Quaxotia]

It's a mistake. It's a useful mistake that we will get the most from it.

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The badness of being resolute is entirely colored by what one is being resolute about. Personally I'll need to see what comes of it before regretting it. Regret is good when you are doing the wrong thing, and counterproductive when you are doing the right thing. The trouble is when right and wrong are being mixed together, but that is the nature of being involved in this whole occult business in the first place.

Maybe let's not do any regrettable actions ever at all?

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As a newbie to the quest there was something I wanted to ask about that. Right now we are at 3/7, the threshold before going over 50% wolf. But in the original thread I saw that reviving Soft Sweeps had a vote where it was framed as an RA, and would either increment the count or decrement the max number of RAs to 6 before hitting the wolves ending. In the update where it happened though it was stated to not be an RA though, just the seed for one.

I understood that it marked Soft Sweeps as the seventh wolf, but what exactly happened with that vote? If we hit 6/7 will the Soft Sweeps wolf immediately sprout and take us to 7/7, or do we still need the seventh deliberate action to completely damn Soft Sweeps and ourselves?

But anyway, I agree that going over 50% wolf is a line we don't want to cross. At this point we may have to accept future losses even if they are on the magnitude of the Master reveal to hold to that line though.

 

[Cochimetl]

Maybe let's not do any regrettable actions ever at all?

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I agree. I've come to like the Wolf stuff narratively, but the damage it has done has been massive and unpredictable. There aren't many scenarios in which I'd vote for one again.

 

[Pittauro]

The badness of being resolute is entirely colored by what one is being resolute about. Personally I'll need to see what comes of it before regretting it. Regret is good when you are doing the wrong thing, and counterproductive when you are doing the right thing. The trouble is when right and wrong are being mixed together, but that is the nature of being involved in this whole occult business in the first place.


As a newbie to the quest there was something I wanted to ask about that. Right now we are at 3/7, the threshold before going over 50% wolf. But in the original thread I saw that reviving Soft Sweeps had a vote where it was framed as an RA, and would either increment the count and decrement the max number of RAs to 6 before hitting the wolves ending. In the update where it happened though it was stated to not be an RA though, just the seed for one.

I understood that it marked Soft Sweeps as the seventh wolf, but what exactly happened with that vote? If we hit 6/7 will the Soft Sweeps wolf immediately sprout and take us to 7/7, or do we still need the seventh deliberate action to completely damn Soft Sweeps and ourselves?

But anyway, I agree that going over 50% wolf is a line we don't want to cross. At this point we may have to accept future losses even if they are on the magnitude of the Master reveal to hold to that line though.

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The short version is that soft reduced the cap and would count as an automatic wolf daughter (the last and most terrible) IF we fill the counter.

So we're at 3/6.

 

[Gyldir]

The badness of being resolute is entirely colored by what one is being resolute about. Personally I'll need to see what comes of it before regretting it. Regret is good when you are doing the wrong thing, and counterproductive when you are doing the right thing. The trouble is when right and wrong are being mixed together, but that is the nature of being involved in this whole occult business in the first place.


As a newbie to the quest there was something I wanted to ask about that. Right now we are at 3/7, the threshold before going over 50% wolf. But in the original thread I saw that reviving Soft Sweeps had a vote where it was framed as an RA, and would either increment the count and decrement the max number of RAs to 6 before hitting the wolves ending. In the update where it happened though it was stated to not be an RA though, just the seed for one.

I understood that it marked Soft Sweeps as the seventh wolf, but what exactly happened with that vote? If we hit 6/7 will the Soft Sweeps wolf immediately sprout and take us to 7/7, or do we still need the seventh deliberate action to completely damn Soft Sweeps and ourselves?

But anyway, I agree that going over 50% wolf is a line we don't want to cross. At this point we may have to accept future losses even if they are on the magnitude of the Master reveal to hold to that line though.

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Essentially:
Soft Sweeps is something Velvet would never regret.
So instead of going from 3/7 to 4/7 we went to 3/6.
So yeah. If we get to 6 stains Soft Sweeps will be wolf'd.

 

[Quaxotia]

So we're at 3/6.

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Got it, in that case @OurLadyOfWires I think this should be reflected in the character sheet so new readers are not misled about how close we actually are to the wolf ending. Or at least add a note there stating that due to story events, hitting 6/7 will trigger the ending.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Nope.

Hitting 6 stains means reaching the door. You would still need to turn the key to end the game.

You are at 3/7. Perform one more Regrettable Action to gain more information on the subject.

 

[Gyldir]

Nope.

Hitting 6 stains means reaching the door. You would still need to turn the key to end the game.

You are at 3/7. Perform one more Regrettable Action to gain more information on the subject.

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Oh, so it slightly changed again?

 

[Zxzx24]

It never changed?

People made a bunch of wild assumptions and ran with them...?

Current Level: 3/7
Should this counter ever reach 7/7, Velvet Covers will immediately reach the ending "The Mother of Wolves".

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Here. Look.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Nope.

Hitting 6 stains means reaching the door. You would still need to turn the key to end the game.

You are at 3/7. Perform one more Regrettable Action to gain more information on the subject.

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But performing RAs makes the world a worse place to live in, and that would make Silky sad!

On the topic of Soft Sweeps though, I recall that time we sent her to "spy" on our brother's coterie and she made that connection with Cantrip. A very touching "misapplication" of the Wolf's sense for pain to choose the best things to say and do to help another pony in pain. I personally find that far more interesting than Wolf-muckery, let's encourage that instead.