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

[Venerable Ro]

That's not what giving to the Bureau would do though?

The Bureau and the Eclipse are separate institutions.

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Not if we're demonstrably better at their job while still doing our job to a magnificent standard...

 

[Shaper47]

Not if we're demonstrably better at their job while still doing our job to a magnificent standard...

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Doubtful.

Especially considering we don't want super death sun beams throw at us. So we can't really do their job anyways.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Doubtful.

Especially considering we don't want super death sun beams throw at us. So we can't really do their job anyways.

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And why should continuing to show our excellent dedication to Equestria result in death rays? We're doing what we were told to do, hunt the unseen enemies of Equestria. It just seems that there are more than Changelings to worry about.

 

[des-pair-2]

Mareinette has done us a favor – no, a charity – and it is only polite to extend that trust in turn. After all, she has been nothing but a gracious host since she has arrived.

I really want the latter of the two options to be a Bureau/Mareinette combination. To let her know that her presence is appreciated and to let others know we are back in business, stronger than ever. I think Merchant is best used for actions. I'm sure we can scrounge up three more actions to cover our bases twice.

 

[Venerable Ro]

So anyway, this is what I want to do.

I want to build on our reputation in the Bureau, make ourselves larger than life, establish a cult of personality if you will. Not to the point of aggrandizement, but to the point that our unquestioned devotion to Equestria, the Bureau, and our princess is something to be admired and imitated.

Laundering the Lores, perhaps even to master them with the Bureau's firm confidence in their Commissioner. It's a duty and a pleasure, watching the bounds, following in the hoofsteps of old Equestria, upholding the custodial legacy of the Lunar Princess.

To give an example, right now we've committed to having a security detail of ponies who are going to be extremely focused on keeping us in their sight at all times. From one perspective an inconvenience that gets in the way of our eldritch doings, from another perspective a trusted retinue, if we made the effort.

Imagine seeing summat like this as a Bureau option.
[]- You are in the habit of making enemies beyond what the average constable can be expected to handle, but your Bureau is anything but "average". Prepare the members of your security detail to face greater conflicts. (The members of your personal security detail will each gain at least a basic understanding of Edge, with luck perhaps one of them will discover a true gift.)

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Mareinette is the right call here, this is the turn she really started offering friendships to Velvet. And friendship is super important to get, it eliminates having to rebind her, and gain us more actions per turn which is the most valuable thing. Imaging getting 2 super social actions a turn, free max Heart, or Grail influence every turn.

Going from 1-2 respect points to 4-5 in a single turn with Mareinette will pay out big.

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I am not friending the foal-eating monster. She literally calls babies' toys bait. Also I'm simply unsure if she follows the traditional friendship track given her ultimate goal of getting Velvet to eat Silky.

I've come down somewhere similar. The one thing I will say about this:


It's claiming that next turn's Servants/Fluttercomet/(Rarity/Jade/Luna) actions are worth 100 bits.

I'll note it feels unlikely that those 3 AP, spent getting bits, would get 100 bits.

It's also not obvious what else we'll use those follower actions on.

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We use the follower actions to gain extra Velvet Actions to lock in and crush a turn.

I say we spike the noble and the murderer.

As the man said, "it's not about the money, it's about sending a message."

The message being, we are not dead, we are not infirm, and we are nowhere near done. So do not screw around with the Lunar Bureau. My favorite Hour is after all, The Colonel, similar to how Bird patrons The Wolf

The bribery I think can be resolved with a scare and a generous donation of manpower, graft being graft it's like being angry at water flowing downhill. You've just got to clean out the gutters on a regular basis.



There was also the time Velvet visited the family in Canterlot, she noticed Vellum following her on Steppes' orders, led him around for a while, and then snuck up on him in a maneuver that included hopping along a series of lampposts to drop down behind him in an alleyway so she could pull the "so what are we looking at?" prank.

Velvet is at a point where she can move through the civilian world pretty much at will, it would take a remarkable pony like Beyond Reproach to even really pick up on her. Moth/Knock 4 pretty much lets her embody the "carry a clipboard and act like you know where you're going" concept of social infiltration.

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Here here for some basic morality. And for showing the Sun Horse we can do things.

Ah, so we are getting close to Pinky levels of movement, got it.

Ugh, I'm having doubts about giving the Noble to the Bureau.

It kinda feels like a not-lose choice. Not the choice we make on the path to victory. When GLORY is right there.

Maybe we give the servant, and take Mareinette's choice…

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Nah, I don't feel like empowering the child devourer in exchange for additional shinies. And well, conspiring against the Crown is conspiring against not just Celestia, but Cadence and Selene too. Just ask the ashes of the Mansus just how merciful we are to such creatures. Take them down. Do not waver on this core trait for mere influence or wealth! Be as steel and scars, unyielding!