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

[ses]

Actually, there maaay be a bit of a hiccup regarding this.

Mainly that we still lack a location to do 3-circle rituals in. And while atypical, the Rite of Joyous Reforging is listed under the three-circle rituals.

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Names are important enough to be worth rolling the dice on doing it in the barn in my opinion. We did TWO name summonings before we burned through the Obscurity card as I recall? Assuming that it's the same dieroll with or without an Obscurity shield, a Forge Name is well worth 50% chance of servant suspicion.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

I notice you are not throwing mafia money at us, Uncle Steppes.

Also haha Biedde, time to get smacked by Kindness again, how many times must we teach you this lesson old man?

 

[Greymere]

Biedde's action for next turn? Or are we willing to get Baldomare in ritual place searching again?

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I was thinking Selene could scry one. Even without the Lantern artifact, she is still rolling a +30 baseline. She autosucceeds at the SH DC60 due to our SH3 artifact, and I kind of doubt what we'd be looking for would be behind such significant warding that a +30 couldn't punch through with even average luck.

 

[DelightedOne]

I notice you are not throwing mafia money at us, Uncle Steppes.

Also haha Biedde, time to get smacked by Kindness again, how many times must we teach you this lesson old man?

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He might have named Velvet in his will, if we are reading the death omens as... well, death omens, there could be a vote to decide what exactly he left for Velvet.

Unfortunately, Biedde never got smacked by Kindness... but his boss did.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

I knew I forgot something.

This ritual doesn't need a summoning circle. It is more "lego" and "noble's flight of fancy with clockworks" than "pig getting stabbed on giant pentagram."

Fixed.

 

[Greymere]

I knew I forgot something.

This ritual doesn't need a summoning circle. It is more "lego" and "noble's flight of fancy with clockworks" than "pig getting stabbed on giant pentagram."

Fixed.

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Very convenient! Looks like Forge Name 'summoning' is back on the menu for next turn, then. We really should still look for a 3-circle site though.

 

[Alan975]

This ritual doesn't need a summoning circle. It is more "lego" and "noble's flight of fancy with clockworks" than "pig getting stabbed on giant pentagram."

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Okay palls! So long as the lake of parts doesn't have to be assembled on site- where would be best?
My vote is for the next bring-your-parents-to-school day

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Honestly speaking, with all the Bureau Loyalty we've accumulated, what's one suspicious action going to do?

Edit: Never mind, it's all good, we don't need a circle so much as a garage.

Now, back to Steppes: he honestly should probably be seeking forgiveness from all the people he's ruined that didn't turn into wildly successful ponies who have the ears of multiple Princesses. And Velvet really doesn't the authority to forgive on the behalf of ours.

But her blind spots regarding her family are roughly the size of continents, so I'll still be voting forgiveness.

 

[ses]

Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today to mourn the loss of our bits.

But despair not! For our empty purse gives way to new income! Rarity will continue to work long weeks for demanding customers, and the night will give way to dawn for our budget.

In Celestia's name we pray.

 

[Arrkhon]

We, theoretically, could try to fund it as a Bureau project if we write up a really fancy manual on the process and stick it in an upcoming raid location, couldn't we?

 

[Fouredged]

He might have named Velvet in his will, if we are reading the death omens as... well, death omens, there could be a vote to decide what exactly he left for Velvet.

Unfortunately, Biedde never got smacked by Kindness... but his boss did.

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We should take over the Mafia.

No, I'm serious. Our role as commissioner is not aimed at normal crime. We take over the Mafia, turn it into a giant information network.

What is the point of the supernatural pony CIA if we don't have a criminal network at our beck and call?

There is so much opportunity we can (Velvet burst through my computer screen and strangles me screaming about AP hell)

 

[ses]

[Channeling the LIGHT, cd 120]

[Roll: 61 + 13 (Magic) + 40 (Lantern, level 4) = 114]

[Velvet Covers invokes a re-roll]

[Re-roll: 70 + 13 (Magic) + 40 (Lantern, level 4) = 123]

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Velvet's luck in the Mansus continues to be absolutely absurd. What a reroll. Just dodged a likely Fascination+lost action with only a 1/3 chance of passing, no influence, no preparation, nothing. This sort of shit is exactly why we developed such hubris and failure to respect how dangerous the higher floors of the mansus are. Even a max Lantern influence is a 27% failure chance. We're just lucky there was only one hurdle and that it was for a principle we hadn't burned a reroll on.

Anyway, I guess we should expect the Very Definitely Final Dungeon For Real This Time to be a slog of CD 120 checks for every principle, and Velvet must go alone. The upside being that she can bring Name influences into it, which makes Befriending names even more important than it already was, since "horde of generic summons and treasure trove of mid-tier artifacts" can't brute force VDFDFRTT the way All In can be. If Befriending names gives 2 actions a turn, then we want to befriend Baldomare and Mareinette even moreso than normal since they have two principles they can give max influences for each, otherwise we're stuck with Lantern/SH and Heart/Grail being mutually exclusive pairs. Biedde CAN help with VDFDFRTT even though he can't with All-In, which is important because Edge influences are so nice when Mansus combat is on the table. Unfortunately no Master and no Neighnia means we have to pick Moth or Winter to be a weak point even if we get all four of lantern/sh/grail/heart. If that's not a thing then we're stuck with picking 3 weak points among the Lantern/SH, Moth/Winter, and Heart/Grail pairs.

Of course, then again: that's what Heirlooms are for. Heart and Moth are off the table, but we can do the Sun-in-Rags mansus expedition for the Winter one, and the Ruined Church for the Grail one, and give ourselves That Old Yearning via ritual.

 

[Shaper47]

Paying 60 bits for Biedde is something that really says Velvet isn't taking this thing seriously.

With all the bits needed for Forge stuff it's the equivalent to sending Twilight to Celestia. The "moral" action that blows up in our faces again.

As for forgiveness and resentment...

The question is what does Velvet value?

Saying we forgive him means Velvet cares for/loves Stepps.

Resentment shows that Velvet cares about family. That she doesn't want family to abandon family.

Actually forgiving him in her heart shows a lack of commitment to family. That it's OK for family to abandon family.

So

[] You will tell him that you forgive him. But deep down, you still resent him.

Seems best to me.

 

[Alan975]

But despair not! For our empty purse gives way to new income! Rarity will continue to work long weeks for demanding customers, and the night will give way to dawn for our budget.

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...Actually, we have to get Rarity involved with the Forging in some way, right?

If there is any way that the mechanic influences the product here rather than doing a perfect reassembly.

Imagine the art, imagine the beauty!

"Quikly Rarity! we need to make baby-"

 

[Sveta08]

Very convenient! Looks like Forge Name 'summoning' is back on the menu for next turn, then. We really should still look for a 3-circle site though.

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Don't forget, we are down an action next turn.
A "gift" for Soft

 

[Pittauro]

Mareinette has already done the "revel in debaucherous hedonism" bit, she did it to the exhaustion of the Red Cathedral itself. She's a creature of habit as any immortal is of course, so she'll do it again without much convincing, but I believe she could be tempted to try something different if it meant a different outcome.

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To be fair you might discover chips after an eternity of only eating chocolate, but it's likely you won't abandon chocolate for chips, you'll just add them.

In other words I believe Mareinette DOES know and understand the value of love and more "innocent" pleasures. It's not like she doesn't WANT friends, after all.

She just doesn't (presumably) want to give up her 5-o'clock snack for it!

What would be more tempting to one endlessly dying of thirst than a wellspring that might never run dry, a Principle that flourishes and renews the more it is enacted, a Lore that Satisfies?

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It's much more likely that she'll try to corrupt Cadance. What's tastier than the hedonism of a former romantic, after all?

You're all just trying to avert your gaze from the final result. Truth was I believed Bird not to be lying when he said this wasn't an important vote, but the truth is now also that we are at the mercy of the moods of Mareinette. Whether that's good or bad, we don't actually know, we can only make educated guesses.

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when did he EVER say this vote was NOT important?

If anything he said that the Silky option was the "riskless" one, and the others bring BOTH risks and opportunities.

By numbers alone (they rock +55 with Edge re-roll) they would definitely be a worthy opponent. But I can`t remember if, theologically, they can be worthy oponents.

I would have to think on that. Because Names aren't worthy opponents because you don't "kill" them. But I don't remember if they need to be ponies or not.

So I'm not really sure, now that you mention it.

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well, we're not really "killing" a Windigo either.

Unless, I suppose, we managed to kill one In the Mansus. But that would mean going to the place where the Wolf Divided resides, and fighting it there.

There's a decent chance we'd be allowed to leave, but... I could see the Windigoes dogpiling us instead. We can't exactly kite one only!

I'm not sure I udnerstand the question. But I'm also not sure if it is moot anymore? Let me know if you want me to clarify something, but I don't think I know how to respond to this, exactly.

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the question was basically if the Windigo could damage everyone with his roll or only the leader. I think someone clarified it to me (that only the leader can get hurt, and gets hurt if they have the lower roll even if everyone else "wins" the clash)

We have both already expounded on our love and ambivalence towards Kingdom Hearts, when it comes to you and I respectively.

So no

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You know, I admit I forgot that discussion.

So, about the olde option of having characters follow you and help you out, there were/are two problems with that.

First, that choice was effectively devoured into the new "cover your bases" mechanic.

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That's not really the same thing though.

Cover your bases is about basically them freeing our time.

The olde option was about them Assisting us in specific actions to enhance them.

Like, cover your base is servants doing our groceries, "accompany us" is Rarity assisting us in persuading someone.

And the problem of having a character "follow you around to help" is that... to be honest? By this point Velvet is too competent for a regular pony to be able to help her in most scenarios. I mean, back then I could narratively and mechanically justify a Lore 0 Velvet being aided by "random friend X". But nowadays, the scene would be just... Velvet doing what needs to be done while her friend stands on the side? I just don't see it working.

So, I'm not really interested in offering that option nowadays.

And when it comes to Names, their time is also valuable. So I am more comfortable with the current "favor trading" relationship of you asking them to do specific things, and not ask them to follow you around like a mortal friend would be willing to.

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ok, that's fair. though I suppose a good enough follower (Grail 3 Rarity for example) COULD assist us in diplomacy stuff, for example... but then again at that point we might be better off having her do it FOR us instead, usually.

Same with Names.

---

well, let's see the update. I actually skimmed it very quickly before, what I know is basically that we found the place where the Forge was... nearly happy? nearly unhappy? where the Intercalate would have happened or the Sun returned, basically.

I didn't check thoroughly, so I don't know the details.

Also apparently an update about our uncle confessing his crimes and us deciding how we feel about them?

[Channeling the LIGHT, cd 120]

[Roll: 61 + 13 (Magic) + 40 (Lantern, level 4) = 114]

[Velvet Covers invokes a re-roll]

[Re-roll: 70 + 13 (Magic) + 40 (Lantern, level 4) = 123]

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pretty close.

Also I kinda expected a roll to RESIST the call of the light, rather than "channeling" it.

What was this check even about? Let me see...

You let your thoughts flow without your interference or influence. You let your thoughts flow through you. Because, as Baldomare once told you, knowledge can be light, and a mind can be like glass.

And thanks to that, or perhaps because of that, you are able to lessen the indefatigable grip that Glory has on your mind. That it has on everypony's mind.

If only for a moment.

If only for a fraction of a second.

But that… that might be all that you need.

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So this is about... letting the light of glory go through our mind like light through glass, to not be consumed by a desire for it?

An interesting approach. I kinda expected Winter to resist it instead.

You take a deep, cold breath. One that could have made a corpse rise from its grave, if it had filled their lungs. And perhaps, in a sense, that is what just happened to you. Because perhaps, in a sense, drowning in Glory-lust is no different than dying, or losing your mind, or perhaps some other equivalency to no longer living.

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yeah, like that

"Tonight, I find what I need to unlock those chains," you say, although even that vaguest of mention nearly drags your attention back to that light that shines behind you.

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I can imagine so many ancient cultists just... wasting their life away in front of the locked gate...

At the very center of the Crater, you can see her previous home. A large and blocky structure, castle-sized and as large as the Ruined Church, that is half-sunk into the cracked Mansus-stone. Like a great nail that was hammered deep into a block of blue marble. Surrounded by the shattered remains of the Mirror Door that it punched through in its flaming descent.

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the puny Door God tried to stop her, and she... well, apparently just threw her workshop at it.

Actually @OurLadyOfWires I'm slightly confused: Couldn't she have used a passage through the Concursum instead? Supposedly there's plenty of paths leading EVERYWHERE in the Mansus through it... or do they all converse at the doors?

Because for some unnamable reason, even though you are at the very top of the Mansus and your mind should be the furthest away from these feelings, you can also feel an echo of love coming from this structure.

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Love for her creations... except maybe the ones resulting from the Intercalate.

The entrance, you can tell, is dark. And that by definition makes it feel wrong. Because the Malleary, you know without knowing, was ever ablaze, ever echoing with the sound of hammers, and ever burning with heat. So, to see its very entrance dark and cold and forbidding is… well, it was probably despairing to the adepts of old, who saw it in its full glory. But even to you, it feels wrong, or perhaps sad, or maybe even lonely.

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a bit like seeing a dry Red Church.

It was a clock, but it wasn't.

It was a servant, but it wasn't.

It was a son, but not the one She wished to give Him.

This, you know, is what remains of one of the most beloved creations of the Forge-of-Days. And the day its creator left, it followed her to the door, bade her its last goodbye, and crumbled into pieces as it had completed its purpose.

…

And you think… you think you can put it back together.

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I have NO IDEA what this is.

You have completely explored the top of the Mansus. There are no other locations to explore beyond the (broken) Mirror Door.

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That means we fully explored the Top of the Mansus and the Blank Plains.

There should be left

2 locations in the Ash Wastes (probably just 2 points of exploration)
1 location in the Broken Stairways (probably the Painted River). (2-3 points to explore, presumably)
the depths of the Red Church.
The Resting Place of the Sun in Rags (winter sacrament required)
The Tower that leads to the moon (SH Sacrament required).

am I forgetting anything?

You have found Her workshop, where She almost knew regret, and where she always knew Joy. The very sight of its walls is enough to inspire creation. You have gained one scrap of Forge Lore.

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nice. every little bit helps.

You have discovered the Mansus expedition "Into the Malleary". This expedition will only be available AFTER you have acquired an Outsider. No exploratory forays will be dared before that.

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Good to know. So basically it's a follow-up expedition to All In.

You have located the means to extract the blood of an Outsider. You may now commit to the Expedition "All In".

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two expeditions in a row, one a Mansus one so we have to do it alone (then again maybe Names could follow us? But would we EVER trust them to?)

You have learned the Rite of Joyous (Re)Forging.

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yay!

let me read...

"You will let your hoofs guide you. You will let your love shape it. And you will let fate decide on the rest.
Just as She did before."

?????

Summoning Requirements: FORGE 300, KNOCK 80.

Summoning cost: Zero bits.

Summoning details:
-This ritual does not require a summoning circle.
-An unlimited number of Forge-aligned sacrifices may be made for this Ritual.
-For every TWO bits used in this ritual, you gain an additional "+1" for the Forge roll. An unlimited number of bits may be used for this ritual.
-Failing this ritual will destroy ALL Knock-aligned sacrifices, and HALF of all Forge-aligned sacrifices.
-Upon successful completion of the ritual, you will have built the Name of Forge, and it will be bound to you as a regular summons.
-You cannot predict any information other than this.

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300?!

ah, not THAT bad. we can use unlimited sacrifices...

the fun if macabre fact is that 30 ponies would technically work as acceptable sacrifice (+10 forge from each).

Your Forge realization allows you to produce "reagents". Disposable, single-use items that can be used to boost rituals, or in very specific narrative circumstances. They possess the following characteristics:
-Reagents may be safely stored away, indefinitely.
-Reagents may have "mixed" Lores. Mixed and matched to your heart's content.
-The "total level" of your a reagent you wish to craft (the added sum of all its Lores) is capped at your Forge level.
-The individual level of each Lore you wish to infuse a reagent with is capped at each individual Lore level you possess

For example, If your levels were Forge 3, Grail 2 and Edge 2, you would be able to craft a "Grail 2, Edge 1" reagent. But NOT a "Grail 3" reagent (because your Grail level is insufficient), and NOT a "Grail 2, Edge 2" reagent (because your Forge level is insufficient)

Crafting ONE reagent is a free action, THREE reagents costs one action, FIVE reagents costs two actions, etc.

Reagent's cost in bits is: 5 -> 20 -> 45 -> 80, etc.

Higher level reagents may have unforeseen/unknown narrative or mechanical effects.

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1 action = 2 reagents.

10 bits for +20
40 bits for +40
90 bits for +60.

We also have the "free" per turn reagent.

6 reagents, 2 actions + 2 "per turn" reagents, 270 bits for a +180...

too expensive I think. Maybe we'll get lucky and find Forge Reagents to help.

Worth pointing out that Reagents, even lvl 3 ones, are "cheaper" per +1 than just using bits directly, though it saves us actions.

Oh my Glob... This ritual is almost insane in how hard it is, good thing we can sacrifice a bunch of things to make it better.

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well, we start at +33 with reroll.

If we only used lvl 3 reagents, we'd need... 180 bits for a +270 bonus? That's 2 actions and 2 free "per turn" reagents to get all the forge reagents, basically.

Hmm, not to sure on that.

We can just throw 500 bits and a Knock reagent to summon the Forge Name next turn.

Creating Forge Reagents for the Name summoning doesn't really make sense.

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it kinda depends on how many bits we consider an action is worth.

with lvl 3 reagents an action saves us... 30 bits?

admittedly not much. It's likely we could MAKE more than 30 bits with a single Velvet action anyway.

Or, you know, if we need more bits we can do more expeditions and hopefully get stuff from those! the Manehattan expedition could probably help.

So uh, only 450 bits to get the Forge name! Cheap!

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We need to do more expeditions, and hope we get either bits, stuff that can be sold for lots of bits, forge reagents or forge artifacts.

---

my opinion right now is that the forge name should wait and we should instead prioritize the expeditions. rewards from those would likely help a lot.

I'll read the other update... either in a bit or tomorrow, not sure.

 

[ses]

1 action = 2 reagents.

10 bits for +20
40 bits for +40
90 bits for +60.

We also have the "free" per turn reagent.

6 reagents, 2 actions + 2 "per turn" reagents, 270 bits for a +180...

too expensive I think. Maybe we'll get lucky and find Forge Reagents to help.

Worth pointing out that Reagents, even lvl 3 ones, are "cheaper" per +1 than just using bits directly, though it saves us actions.

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Forge 2 reagents are what we would make. Forge 1 reagents are +15 effective bits per reagent craft, Forge 2 reagents are +20 effective bits, Forge 3 are back down to +15 effective bits per craft. That puts a Velvet AP on crafting at +40 bits (40 spent on two Forge 2 reagents to reduce the cost of the ritual by 80). Not worth it considering how valuable Velvet AP is. We'd be better off telling followers "Make me bits" rather than using their Cover Your Bases actions to pay for reagent crafting actions. We probably just make a single Forge 2 reagent with our free monthly craft and spend 470 bits total plus a Wrong Key next month on the Forge Name if we commit to doing so immediately. Which we should.

 

[ArticulateJargon]

Paying 60 bits for Biedde is something that really says Velvet isn't taking this thing seriously.

With all the bits needed for Forge stuff it's the equivalent to sending Twilight to Celestia. The "moral" action that blows up in our faces again.

As for forgiveness and resentment...

The question is what does Velvet value?

Saying we forgive him means Velvet cares for/loves Stepps.

Resentment shows that Velvet cares about family. That she doesn't want family to abandon family.

Actually forgiving him in her heart shows a lack of commitment to family. That it's OK for family to abandon family.

So

[] You will tell him that you forgive him. But deep down, you still resent him.

Seems best to me.

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I was sort of thinking something similar. An acknowledgment that Velvet was hurt, and that's not ok, but that she still cares and wants Steppes in her life seems like the most emotionally mature and compassionate answer. discarding it completely is also discarding and invading Steppes' guilt over the matter… but, I mean, we have literally metaphysically cut away the trauma and the scar. That itself has changed Velvet. It feels like IC, velvet would wholly and completely forgive Steppes with no strings attached. Personally, I'm hoping that no matter which Resent option wins, that we at least acknowledge that pain and all the effort it took for Velvet to piece herself back together

 

[ArticulateJargon]

Forge 2 reagents are what we would make. Forge 1 reagents are +15 effective bits per reagent craft, Forge 2 reagents are +20 effective bits, Forge 3 are back down to +15 effective bits per craft. That puts a Velvet AP on crafting at +40 bits (40 spent on two Forge 2 reagents to reduce the cost of the ritual by 80). Not worth it considering how valuable Velvet AP is. We'd be better off telling followers "Make me bits" rather than using their Cover Your Bases actions to pay for reagent crafting actions. We probably just make a single Forge 2 reagent with our free monthly craft and spend 470 bits total plus a Wrong Key next month on the Forge Name if we commit to doing so immediately. Which we should.

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Ah, is that how that works? I had assumed the bits put towards reagents would count for "bits used in this ritual"

 

[BritBiscuit]

"Although, I have to ask… what's the deal with you and that pegasus?" he asks, turning his face sideways to look at you.

"The pegasus? What pegasus?" you ask, raising a curious eyebrow. "And what do you mean by a deal I have with her?"

To which Velvet Steppes answers with a coughing chuckle.

"You know exactly who I am talking about. The pegasus who always joins your daughters for breakfast. I swear I saw her wearing a maid dress, once. So why in Equestria did you kiss her head early this morning, together with your two fillies?"

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First of all great chapter. Secondly @OurLadyOfWires I think you used 'her' in Velvet Covers response before Velvet Steppes clarifies which pegasus he meant so shouldn't it be 'them'?

As soon as the moratorium is over I know what I'm voting for
[] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.
Of all the people who Steppes could confess this to Velvet Covers is likely one of the most suited to understand and empathise. Too not forgive Steppes would either be hypocritical (although understandable given how he left her to suffer horrendous neglect and family resentment) or even be a sign that Velvet Covers doesn't feel like she deserves forgiveness for what she's done either. Oh and I just like seeing Steppes hanging out with the children and I feel like not telling him that we forgive him would make him more likely to stop visiting to just be depressed somewhere.

EDIT: I forgot to add a quote to show which to me shows off how what Velvet chooses to do in regards to forgiveness also reflects how she might feel about herself

You wonder if, despite his many crimes, he can still be called good.

You wonder if, despite his good intentions, he can be called anything but evil.

Because what is a pony, and what is a life, if not the result of their actions?

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and whilst the next line is her dismissing the philisophical implications, it really parallels Velvet I feel, she too has commited crimes yet still wishes to be good, she too has good intentions yet has quite literally brought evil into this world. To me Velvet forgiving Steppes is an important character defining moment as it brings hope that one day she might forgive herself.

Finally a question to those not yet decided on the vote, "Do our worst moments make us monsters?" does abandoning Velvet when she asked for help as a child invalidate all that Steppes has done to try and reconnect and help Velvet and the family since then?

 

[Mystic_Spider]

-Level 1: A physical object exists, whether if it is bathed in light or cloaked in shadows. But what of knowledge, or ideas? If those are not illuminated, if a mind does not bathe them in light, do they truly exists? (Further +4 when attempting to learn the secrets that are within an object)

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do they truly exist

Level 1: What is the difference between a the stomping of a hoof against the ground during a dance and a thunderclap, apart from the scale of it?

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between the stomping

"Like anything else, the third is time is always the most meaningful.

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the third time

-[Wolf, thy name is Ash]: "The Wolves gnaw around the walls of the Mansus. As any student of Histories know, they will kill you if you linger."

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any student of Histories knows

 

[ses]

I understand feeling this way. And I assume (although this is not a "gotcha" or anything) that you did not vote to pick the Steppes FO during the mid-turn vote, after we left the Knock Sacrament with one action point remaining.

So, truly, I understand you just not being interested in Steppes. And that is fine.

But people voted for this. And the option to see what this FO was about won.

I get it if you think this is boring. But if you think of it the other way, maybe some people want to tie this loose thread precisely because we are so close to the end.

Yes, the Glory is right there. But I won't stop people from wanting to enjoy the ride a little more.

Anyways, sorry you do not appreciate this particular beat of the story. I hope we get back to what you are interested in soon enough!

Cheers everyone. I'll be back later.

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As someone who did vote for it I do wish we had been given more details on which, if any, would get us benefits. It's always a hard line to straddle about when to give options that don't expound their consequences for narrative reasons vs just saying "This is the option if you want Jade as a minion at the expense of her mental health". I was certainly hoping for mechanical payoffs in terms of AP or other resources, seeing as the competing plan was inefficient imo (moth book with no lantern influence, choosing the least action efficient studying combination) I wanted to gamble on hopefully fully inducting Steppes into our faction while we had Biedde and a max Grail influence.

 

[Void_510]

But it didn't.

To us, yes, it feels like it happened to a different Pony. One we've never seen and do not know,

But not to Velvet. Not to Velvet, who just remembered everything that happened, for the first time in forever.

Yes, she got lucky. She got very, very lucky. I agree that she should not resent Steppes.

I don't think she should forgive him.

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Velvet does not remember asking him to take her with him. She barely remembers that he stopped visiting. That entire time is a blur to her. She has clearly had a good if long distance relationship with him since he came back into her life right before she got engaged.

If she did remember it then I might vote differently but I think this is forgive and do not resent.

His problems with personal commitments aside (and I understand that those were his primary reason to run away), the mob boss who does all the dirty deeds the patriarch of those Velvets needs done might have some valid reasons to think it would not be a good environment for a young filly with a crippling disabilty.

All that said, now I want Mafia Princess Velvet Covers as our next SH alternate.

 

[Fouredged]

Velvet does not remember asking him to take her with him. She barely remembers that he stopped visiting. That entire time is a blur to her. She has clearly had a good if long distance relationship with him since he came back into her life right before she got engaged.

If she did remember it then I might vote differently but I think this is forgive and do not resent.

His problems with personal commitments aside (and I understand that those were his primary reason to run away), the mob boss who does all the dirty deeds the patriarch of those Velvets needs done might have some valid reasons to think it would not be a good environment for a young filly with a crippling disabilty.

All that said, now I want Mafia Princess Velvet Covers as our next SH alternate.

Click to shrink...

Assassin edge Velvet.

 

[Solace2117]

I don't think that Velvet at the beginning of the quest could easily forgive him and would probably resent him as well. Uncle Steppes hasn't been a good person and did abandon her. Velvet's overcome her childhood trauma though, and while she's started to have some relationship with her younger brother, her Uncle is the only one who has made any effort to be there for her now.
If we hadn't voted to heal her scars even I think it would be different, but Velvet has moved on from that part of her life. I think she's at the point where she can forgive him and actually mean it. Does that make what happened right, no, but people change and grow. The Steppes that abandoned her isn't the same one talking to her now, just like she's not that Filly anymore.
I mean I guess there could be some weird set of circumstances where the other options lead to some optimal opportunity, but that would feel a little hollow. It also doesn't feel right considering how this is more personal. I like Steppes and despite what happened before he's been there for her now, and he's embraced her family unlike her other relatives. I think that means more than what happened before. At least now.

 

[ses]

From my personal experience being bedridden and miserable while my parents gave no shits to help... the one family member that just sat by my bed and fed me the occasional Lifesaver inspired nothing but love and gratitude, certainly not resentment for not entering into a conflict with my parents or doing more.

Yes, he could have gone above and beyond and totally changed his life, but resenting him when he already did more than anyone else doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Bakkasama]

I say forgive. He looks like he will die soon enough, better not to have lingering bad feelings that could go unresooved when he does.

 

[Alan975]

Yes, he could have gone above and beyond and totally changed his life, but resenting him when he already did more than anyone else doesn't make sense to me.

Click to shrink...

I see it completely reversed, drawn from personal experience.


Why would they not do more?

As often is the case, they don't want to "rock the boat"

And that's "only" in the case of heavy neglect, what we have in the story is young Velvet being left in an abusive home.

People of sound mind should resent those who are willing to damn a child through inaction

 

[Zxzx24]

And Velvet Steppes understands. He gives you that slow, calm nod that makes it clear nothing else needs to be said. And he also has that calm smile of a pony who quietly approves of what you said.

However, that same calm smile also makes him look so very tired.

As if he had just confirmed that there is one less thing he needs to worry about.

As if he had just realized that everything is alright, that you all know what to do, and there is one less reason for him to stay here.

"I see," is all he says.

Click to shrink...

Was he going to adopt her? Huh.

Also intereting...

*more reading ensues*

Oh we basically did what he wished he had done in the past.

Oof

 

[Zxzx24]

...Because, really, how would resentment help at all?

Instead of lamenting the past, make a better future.

Instead of lamenting inaction, make action.

Maybe you will not succeed, but if you don't try you will definitively not succeed.

Click to shrink...

He did later at least.

...Also, does anyone else sees the death flags behind Steppes

Click to shrink...

Yes there sure are a fuck load of them.

But Biedde knows he won't be having a peaceful death.

I understand feeling this way. And I assume (although this is not a "gotcha" or anything) that you did not vote to pick the Steppes FO during the mid-turn vote, after we left the Knock Sacrament with one action point remaining.

So, truly, I understand you just not being interested in Steppes. And that is fine.

But people voted for this. And the option to see what this FO was about won.

I get it if you think this is boring. But if you think of it the other way, maybe some people want to tie this loose thread precisely because we are so close to the end.

Yes, the Glory is right there. But I won't stop people from wanting to enjoy the ride a little more.

Anyways, sorry you do not appreciate this particular beat of the story. I hope we get back to what you are interested in soon enough!

Cheers everyone. I'll be back later.

Click to shrink...

I loved it

It's the small. Human? Equine? Moments that make this story for me.

I don't think that Velvet is some paragon of kindness, we've done so many abhorrent things yet people talk about Velvet not being a resentful mare?

For most other ponies, I'd go for no absolution, but this is a matter of Family.

[] You will tell him that you forgive him. But deep down, you still resent him.

What he did was not okay, trying to argue around that is pointless and hypocritical because I'm not seeing anyone suggesting that dear old dad should get a pass?

Stepps however has done something that should give him some leeway, he has tried.
Not enough, not often and not equivalent to what he did, but it should be enough for a white lie.

Velvet can stomach her feelings, for an old man's last moments and for her daughters.



Do also consider what it would say, to forgive for something that is no bother.
You talk of Harmony and love, but how is that anything but an empty platitude?

For it to truly be forgiveness, the victim must see it as something to forgive.

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I mean.

Who do we resent? We were even happy to live and let live with Copper so long our names were talking about our near death being "lesson learned"

It's much more likely that she'll try to corrupt Cadance. What's tastier than the hedonism of a former romantic, after all?

Click to shrink...

Something other than corruption and hedonism? Which has probably something she has seen/done hundreds, or thousands of times.

Just sitting down and talking. Having fun with a friend can be nice too.

Grail does tend towards excess though.

If anything I think Mareinette would push Cadence towards the extremes and excesses of her abilities and philosophies as they exist. Rather than making her another grail addict.

What does the Harmonies Love look like off the walls? Pushed to the limit. And beyond any restraint.

Can ponies drown in this love as they do in grail?