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

[DelightedOne]

I wonder if Selene would have anything to say about that book, if it was written while Canterlot was being built she might remember something about the past(I'm not sure if she remembers everything yet, the locks on her memories were Harmony-given and the ritual we used to wake her also was Harmonious so...)

And of course if Star Swirl was the one who wrote it she might recognize his writing.

 

[Pittauro]

This is strangely funny to me because you were one of the people arguing for Church.

Also, if Steppes sells the stuff we don't need then there's an additional layer of separation between us and the Lore artefacts on sale. Especially if we ask him to keep our name out of any official or unofficial paperwork.

Click to shrink...

eh, I didn't want to check for the last tally, and I didn't remember if Church or Malleary won.

and yeah, agreed on Steppes thing. Also he's known at the auction, while Velvet went literally only once, when he bought us the lantern 6 book.

The whole Level 6 book thing was just badly done to begin with. My fault, mind you, not yours.

Still, the initial mechanic translation was just bad. Which is the reason why we changed it now. But still, yeah, that was all a localized mess.

Click to shrink...

I think it was one of the few things I actually complained about. It was just... so time consuming!

new one is better. Also I suspect Baldomare's Lantern sacrament is basically "understand all languages", which would include being able to just skip the deciphering challenge, and we're not THAT far away from being able to get it.

We need 4 scraps (and we can get 2 from lantern influence), and then to give Baldomare 2 Mares for her own little expedition.

Now that is a good idea, if you can't win following the rules forget about them and make your own.

She would be mad at us anyway, we would either try to kill her or end up not being able to keep her bound... then we would try to kill her.

I'm pretty sure she is the last Alukite around and the last Ligean(now I'm wondering if she is got all the keys from the Mansus) so something must have killed the others and going by logic at least one had to be Heart too. That means there is hope for the murder of another Name(without the Wolf this time).

Click to shrink...

I'm not even sure she'd be THAT mad.

We're a "mortal". we'll die, eventually. Prolonging her "slavery" can be a novel experience for her, and at least we're not actually trying to kill her.

Sure, she'd oppose it... but I could see her go "well played" if we succeeded.

---

UPDATE!

let' see...

[Rolling several relatively low CD tests…]

[No re-rolls used]

Click to shrink...

Doesn't mean much when we don't know WHICH rolls those are.

Hopefully Biedde was included.

"Tartarus… freaking… damnit! Why won't you stay in the right shape?!"

Click to shrink...

Problems making a reagent?

Maybe you should turn this place into a hobby room of sorts? Well, you say "hobby room", but the picture you have in your mind would better be described as a "workshop". Still, the small yet effective setup you saw on Knock-you's room definitely comes to mind.

Click to shrink...

not a bad idea, really.

But that's the thing about it. You have a knack for alchemy. In fact, you are can confidently say you have a taste for alchemy, or maybe even a liking for it. But even if you had the tools to melt a piece of metal, and even if you were able to mix it with, you wouldn't be able to work it.

Click to shrink...

I can't help but wonder what our alchemical reagents could be used for by NOT cultists.

could our heart 3 reagents be valuable medicines, for example?

But as you start ripping out the pages of the old and used diary you bought, that will eventually become the reagent you have in mind, you can't help but think that maybe you should learn a bit more about Forge before going back to work on your other projects.

Click to shrink...

so, lantern 1 reagent made out of diary pages... interesting and appropriate.

Well, after thoroughly analyzing the state of the book, you have concluded that it was first knocked out of your bookshelf by a maid. Then it was picked up by Softy, who thought it was one of Silky's schoolbook, only for the young mare to change her mind after flicking through its pages. Then, it laid on Soft's room for a while, was borrowed by no less than three other maids, and became yellow for a few nights as it was read by a recent hire, for some unexplainable reason. Until finally one of Silky's friends found it while exploring the house, and it had been used as the base for a boardgame ever since.

Click to shrink...

...are you saying the book turned into that eldritch romance book about maids and guards somehow?!

I wonder how that even works!

I kinda want to go and ask Mareinette about it now! or Baldomare, but she likely wouldn't tell us.

However, the fact remains that you are far more interested in the third book you have with you. The old and battered volume you are holding on your hoofs right now.

The ancient, hoof-written book that the Daughter-of-Axes brought you… from beneath the Royal Castle of Canterlot.

Click to shrink...

Same, I'm really curious about what it is about!

Or rather, I will have very little left that I am willing to teach. Some things are best left forgotten. And I intend to die with those things.

But secrecy does not make me negligent. I would be a fool if I did not keep with the verifications, and that is exactly what I intend to do here.

Click to shrink...

calling it here, these are the notes of Starswhirl the Bearded, about things he decided NOT to teach the Alicorn Sisters.

Which, all things considered, I think was the wrong choice. I've always disagreed with the "some things are best left forgotten" mentality.

Maybe we should show this book to Selene. She might recognize her old teacher's writing style.

However, the writer's personal musings were only the smaller part of what was written. And most of the notes were dedicated to the writer's methodical exploration of the caverns within "the great mountain" where the notes were written.

Which you assume will be very useful to whoever wishes to explore the depths of Mount Canterlot.

…

You will be sure to copy the maps contained within these notes, and pass them on to the Daughter-of-Axes before she departs.

Click to shrink...

just in time! We were about to send her with the notes unread!

A one-time thing she will never be able to surpass, let alone repeat.

Click to shrink...

shouldn't it be "never be able to repeat, let alone surpass"?

From my understanding the "let alone" part means that the second one is meant to be HARDER than the first one.

"It's not… glimpses," she tries to say, although she stops every now and then as she tries to think how she can best explain something. "It looks like a flicker, but it feels like a reflection? I… the best way I can describe it is that… hmm…"

Click to shrink...

calling it now: the Mirror Pool?

"… is… is it alright if I keep it?" she mumbles, although her voice is so low you can barely understand her.

Click to shrink...

...that's awkward. We meant it for the ritual, wouldn't that consume it?

Then again, maybe it will just "use" its potential, but leave the physical origami intact?

Velvet Covers has read an ancient tome, which contained an expansive map of the caverns within Mount Canterlot. They may be dated, and perhaps inaccurate, but you are sure they will be helpful regardless. The expedition "Beneath the Royal Castle, pt. 2" has been scouted, and any characters exploring it will receive a +10 bonus on their rolls.

Click to shrink...

perfect!

-Level 4: It is impossible to truly break something. And it is impossible to create something that is truly unbreakable. Everything is in constant flux, and the only thing one can do is steer the direction of that unstoppable flow. (Further +5 when attempting to destroy something. Gains a single re-roll for Forge per month/turn, to be used on the result that would benefit Velvet Covers the most.)

Click to shrink...

and nice.

I'll catch up on the discussion later. Not that much to say about this update specifically though.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Ah yes, I knew I was forgetting something.

On the subject of scars, ours is quite unfortunately placed as to mar our Mark (as noted in the recent Sacrament excursion) and so we wear a dress habitually. This is a long-established quirk of ours amongst our fellow ponies, and the explanation would be accepted without question.

I'm given to wonder (because I don't remember) how this interacts with the [Branded] trait we picked up so long ago, which notes that Branded ponies know each other by sight. If the dress gets in the way, that would be hilarious, if it doesn't then we should keep in mind that eventually any random Branded is going to be able to blow our masquerade if we don't get our story down first.

Now, I sleep, knowing I've sparked Paranoia in at least one reader.

 

[DelightedOne]

calling it here, these are the notes of Starswhirl the Bearded, about things he decided NOT to teach the Alicorn Sisters.

Which, all things considered, I think was the wrong choice. I've always disagreed with the "some things are best left forgotten" mentality.

Maybe we should show this book to Selene. She might recognize her old teacher's writing style.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, that seems likely. How much do you wanna bet that the lores were what he didn't teach them?

I actually just said that.
If we want to do that, next turn she has 1 action that won't be needed to finish her training and we don't need her for anything else at the moment, maybe we could also tell her about the Harmony path and see if she notices anything if A memory of Light is done too?
It would be a waste to not tell our Alicorn daughter, one of Harmony's [REDACTED] our (small)findings, her Outsider origins could be part of the conversation too.

 

[Greymere]

Now, I sleep, knowing I've sparked Paranoia in at least one reader.

Click to shrink...

Tbf, the issue of the Brand has been brought up before. Multiple times even, iirc.

 

[Paintmaster]

Yeah, that seems likely. How much do you wanna bet that the lores were what he didn't teach them?

I actually just said that.
If we want to do that, next turn she has 1 action that won't be needed to finish her training and we don't need her for anything else at the moment, maybe we could also tell her about the Harmony path and see if she notices anything if A memory of Light is done too?
It would be a waste to not tell our Alicorn daughter, one of Harmony's [REDACTED] our (small)findings, her Outsider origins could be part of the conversation too.

Click to shrink...

I mean it makes a certain amount of sense. With the gate closed and locked ascension is off the table, with the hours dead and gone becoming a long/name is unlikely if not impossible as well, the Mansus itself had become even more dangerous than it ever was, and with the lores themselves being dangerous to learn in their own right it makes sense that he wouldn't want the sisters to learn and inevitably dig deeper. Better to just leave it to be forgotten.

That especially makes sense when you consider how the wielders of harmony most of looked like to a wielder of lores. They must have seemed like a miracle, and it makes sense he didn't want to taint that miracle with the past. The only issue would be the worms.

 

[Pittauro]

The Forge Level 4 snippet . The Forge of Days, and King Lock Crucible, might have something to say about that unbreakable line!

Click to shrink...

eh, we're working to probe them wrong!

I don't know if someone can refresh my memory, but I recall every follower has some kind of narrative "special ability". We have the ability to read things instantly with our hooves and see in the dark. I don't remember when we trained Jade up to Disciple (Lantern 3), but I wonder what actual ability Jade gained. The ability to see things as they truly are is rather generic for Lantern, but maybe it works. When we trained Rarity up to disciple, she seemed to be gain the ability to:

Click to shrink...

We never got specific details, besides that her lantern gift is expressed through sight.

Keep in mind she saw the true nature of Selene at a glimpse (I think she rolled nat100?) and somehow from that she deduced the rite of childhood's end, the Rite of the Mother and Father, and the Memory of Light.

I remember a fair few people thinking it was a new expedition. Maybe one that was related to that expedition, or a very simple one, but I don't recall anyone assuming it was anything like just a minor bonus to the one expedition we already had.

It's honestly kinda underwhelming, especially considering how close we came to just… not reading it before the expedition. I mean, it was an extra add on anyways, but +10 to a few rolls is very meh. And we could have held off at least one more turn if people had different priorities.

Click to shrink...

just you wait for that +10 to save us multiple days (and thus bits) AND that by part 2 should reasonably have better treasures...

Hmm? Oh. No.
I highly doubt it's Starswirl. I'd bet if it's anyone we know named, it would be Clover.

My memory is foggy admittedly, who would have thought that not refreshing yourself on background history characters of pony lore for a few years makes you forget some details?
But, if the author is saying the things they know would die with them? I believe it was that Clover the Clever was an apprentice of Starswirl. So Starswirl was interested in passing on his information, where as Clover is... well, we don't know as much.

Past that? Glad to know things are proceeding apace.

Click to shrink...

It's possible. Canon doesn't really share much about Clover, so Bird could go in any direction he wanted with her.

It's too bad we're only a librarian and not The Librarian, or we could keep her in Rubywise Ruin or possibly even Sacrament Calicite. Since this quest is a blend of Cultist Simulator and My Little Pony together, it bears out that both influences can be brought to bear both by us and by Bird to greater or lesser degrees according to the actions taken. Mareinette is almost wholly CS, but she's not entirely CS or the pun wouldn't be there. Therefore, hypothetically, the dial can be moved closer to Pony if we were to take the necessary actions to be a goodsubversive influence. This isn't just wishful thinking, this is me meditating on how the quest has been structured, I really do think there are opportunities, in theory, to do just about anything if the work is put in. The doors are ours to open or close, whether they're swung wide, bolted shut, or torn down entirely.

To use a related example, I'm still very certain that there were opportunities to sway, mollify, and otherwise mellow/befriend The Master same as with any other Name, but we got intimidated by the Moth-mystique and shied away from doing any kind of socializing. Of course the old Wood-Thing handled matters in the old bloody fashion, nopony ever offered an alternative option or way of thinking. We offered her windigoes instead.

Click to shrink...

Very true. I mean, there was even a chance of Master-Alicorn mellowing out in the distant future... though of course first he'd have to be born through a great crime...

I'm fully convinced that either Ash or the exploration is going to reveal something woeful along the lines of the Will Of The Woods being a tree pretending to be a Real Filly all along, and being genuinely convinced that we were their friend/ally right up until the Wolf struck.

Alright, maybe not that woebegone, but that fruit-book showed her origin/waking as The Moth's Glory-burnt dappled ashes raining down on the Woods. Hence her title as "Last Heir Of The Moth" or however that went. She was very young as Names go, and spent very nearly all of her existence in the becalmed stillness that followed the Forge's sealing of Glory. It's no wonder she was clueless.

Aye, clueless, I'm almost certain that she was leaning as hard as she could on that Moth 7 obfuscation and bluffing skill, making things up as she went along with not much more to go on than cult stories heard in passing from other Names and deep conviction that she didn't want Worms chewing through her on their way to Glory/Harmony. Hence the big scary Master schtick, she was probably going off of stories about Apostle-ascensions and the organizations thereof.

Click to shrink...

let's not get too crazy. Master ALWAYS knew Velvet was not loyal.

She was just so much greater than us that saw it a bit like Velvet being a very gifted but somewhat rebellious and two-faced child. The kind that's a bit of a teacher's pet in public, but probably a mischievous prankster/bully out of her sight.

And she was so amused by it that she explicitly did NOT check what we were hiding.

I'm sure that, FROM HER POINT OF VIEW, she had the best intentions for us. But that's from her point of view. A very ELDRITCH point of view.

That said, yeah, we MIGHT have been able to actually befriend the Master, probably. too late for that.

 

[Gyldir]

I think it was one of the few things I actually complained about. It was just... so time consuming!

new one is better. Also I suspect Baldomare's Lantern sacrament is basically "understand all languages", which would include being able to just skip the deciphering challenge, and we're not THAT far away from being able to get it.

We need 4 scraps (and we can get 2 from lantern influence), and then to give Baldomare 2 Mares for her own little expedition.

Click to shrink...

But if we can pull it off, our personal seems to enable touch reading people. Hopefully the killing part is only part of the figuring out how.

Being able to touch read prisoners?
Being able to touch read our staff and the other leaders (Fair trial and the leader of Eclipse)? Invaluable to learning about suspicions before they become an issue.
Being able to touch read ponies we want to gain influence over?
Being able to touch read ponies that might be changeling?

Many useful things.

Less versatile if it is obvious to the person being touch read/leaves damage.
Would still be good for occult war.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Castle of the two Sisters was the Alicorns home up until Nightmare Moon. Canterlot is post Nightmare Moon who is post Starswirl by a good bit.

 

[Greymere]

I mean it makes a certain amount of sense. With the gate closed and locked ascension is off the table, with the hours dead and gone becoming a long/name is unlikely if not impossible as well, the Mansus itself had become even more dangerous than it ever was, and with the lores themselves being dangerous to learn in their own right it makes sense that he wouldn't want the sisters to learn and inevitably dig deeper. Better to just leave it to be forgotten.

That especially makes sense when you consider how the wielders of harmony most of looked like to a wielder of lores. They must have seemed like a miracle, and it makes sense he didn't want to taint that miracle with the past. The only issue would be the worms.

Click to shrink...

The Worms wouldn't even be the only issue, though.

Like, letting the Lores be completely forgotten would be fine in a world where there was no Lore Fuckery(tm) hanging around to become an outside-context problem that the alicorns wouldn't even know how to approach dealing with it. But there were/are. For instance, the changelings were the beneficiaries of (iirc) a Moth 7 artifact's effect which made it literally impossible to notice anything was wrong if you didn't have Lantern. And I doubt the changelings were the only remnants of the old Era still around and kicking, you know?

Hell, I'm half expecting Sombra to turn out to be a Long who ascended before the Forge of Days trashed the Mansus.

 

[Iustus Vitea]

I have no idea of the MLP side of things so what Long would Sombra be?

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Like, letting the Lores be completely forgotten would be fine in a world where there was no Lore Fuckery(tm) hanging around to become an outside-context problem that the alicorns wouldn't even know how to approach dealing with it. But there were/are. For instance, the changelings were the beneficiaries of (iirc) a Moth 7 artifact's effect which made it literally impossible to notice anything was wrong if you didn't have Lantern. And I doubt the changelings were the only remnants of the old Era still around and kicking, you know?

Click to shrink...

Makes you wonder how Celestia originally found them out and defeated them though, doesn't it?

 

[Pittauro]

But if we can pull it off, our personal seems to enable touch reading people. Hopefully the killing part is only part of the figuring out how.

Being able to touch read prisoners?
Being able to touch read our staff and the other leaders (Fair trial and the leader of Eclipse)? Invaluable to learning about suspicions before they become an issue.
Being able to touch read ponies we want to gain influence over?
Being able to touch read ponies that might be changeling?

Many useful things.

Less versatile if it is obvious to the person being touch read/leaves damage.
Would still be good for occult war.

Click to shrink...

yeah, but getting a prisoner we're willing to sacrifice is likely to take time. IF we somehow get, say, Copper or a cultist, then maybe.

Otherwise... well, better a Sacrament earlier than later.

Makes you wonder how Celestia originally found them out and defeated them though, doesn't it?

Click to shrink...

IF that's a thing here (and I'm not sure Celestia recognized Chrysalis as someone she defeated in the past. That's a comic thing, not a show thing), they might just not have had the artifact at the time.

 

[DelightedOne]

(and I'm not sure Celestia recognized Chrysalis as someone she defeated in the past. That's a comic thing, not a show thing)

Click to shrink...

She did, she even knew Chrysalis was a shapeshifter.

You recognize it. You recognize her. The leader of the shapeshifters, the monster you exiled from Equestria all those centuries ago.

Click to shrink...

 

[angelsadvocate666]

so, lantern 1 reagent made out of diary pages... interesting and appropriate.

Click to shrink...

SH1, not Lantern.

Also, a completely random thought I just had, but I kinda wish we could ask Selene to do the Memory of Light research. Just to see what happens.

 

[Limabot]

...are you saying the book turned into that eldritch romance book about maids and guards somehow?!

I wonder how that even works!

I kinda want to go and ask Mareinette about it now! or Baldomare, but she likely wouldn't tell us.

Click to shrink...

I know this is a really minor thing, but given the color and the Grail ties, I half-suspect the Guard in Yellow is some final Mansus-prank from the Flowermaker on Ponykind before he perished.

 

[Greymere]

I know this is a really minor thing, but given the color and the Grail ties, I half-suspect the Guard in Yellow is some final Mansus-prank from the Flowermaker on Ponykind before he perished.

Click to shrink...

Clearly it's a (the?) Grail 7 book

 

[angelsadvocate666]

Well, that or it's actually the Grail Heirloom still influencing the world from where ever it's hiding. Books can be artifacts after all, and I could see it scattering bits and pieces of itself to take over random books occasionally.

 

[Gyldir]

yeah, but getting a prisoner we're willing to sacrifice is likely to take time. IF we somehow get, say, Copper or a cultist, then maybe.

Otherwise... well, better a Sacrament earlier than later.

Click to shrink...

Well, we could send Mareinette to retrieve a cultist alive.
Over all we'd need:

1. 1 Mareinette AP+ possibly a few bits to pay for a expedition, to get an enemy cult prisoner
2. Somewhere to keep a prisoner
   • unless directly using the prisoner negates this need
3. 1 Velvet AP to do "The Conversation"
4. A way to get rid of the used prisoner
   • like.... Asking Fluttershy to have Comet get rid of it.

Seems like a reasonable price for a personal Sacrament + Info on Copper.
Mareinette AP are something we are loath to use, anyway.

Otoh, could be that Baldomares all languages includes a language we can't get anywhere else. On the third hoof, so far languages didn't need to be learned/found, just an abstract DC passed.

 

[Greymere]

yeah, but getting a prisoner we're willing to sacrifice is likely to take time. IF we somehow get, say, Copper or a cultist, then maybe.

Click to shrink...

Or Windy, if he ends up drinking the Wolf-aid.

 

[Alan975]

She Is Still Here

Click to shrink...

...We have already killed one, what's another?


Perhaps not by the same methods this time, but you've convinced me that she is a problem.
Now to convince everyone else.

How long can we juggle her? Are we willing to make the sacrifices to satiate her?

I'm certainly not.

So lets kill an old lady.

 

[Iustus Vitea]

We're still like 6 turns off from such a decision and may not even need to make it if we can extend the summons in other ways. Let's not pick up the pitchforks quite that quickly

A way to get rid of the used prisoner

Click to shrink...

I believe the Sacrament AP consumes the prisoner so we may not need to spend an AP on evidence removal.

 

[Greymere]

We're still like 6 turns off from such a decision and may not even need to make it if we can extend the summons in other ways. Let's not pick up the pitchforks quite that quickly

Click to shrink...

I'd also want to see if Baldomare can scry her hidden traits before we decide if we want to take any definitive actions. We could even have her test it ahead of time by trying to scry Neighnia's traits

If nothing else, if we test it on Neighnia and it works, we'd know whether she can actually deflect the End is Beautiful.

 

[Alan975]

We're still like 6 turns off from such a decision and may not even need to make it if we can extend the summons in other ways. Let's not pick up the pitchforks quite that quickly

Click to shrink...

Not this second, obviously. Not even sating my curiosity is worth a wolf ending.

If nothing else, if we test it on Neighnia and it works, we'd know whether she can actually deflect the End is Beautiful.

Click to shrink...

Yes, I'd also vote for sending Marinette out on a few riskier/clandestine errands as well, since she is fully here then I'di'd trust in her to get them done more than Biddie or DOA.

 

[Gyldir]

We're still like 6 turns off from such a decision and may not even need to make it if we can extend the summons in other ways. Let's not pick up the pitchforks quite that quickly

I believe the Sacrament AP consumes the prisoner so we may not need to spend an AP on evidence removal.

Click to shrink...

So ideally we could have Mareinette expedition through Manehattan, bring some snacks an enemy cultist and we Sacrament them instantly.
1 Mareinette AP, some expedition bits, 1 Velvet AP.

For a Sacrament and info on Coppers cult.
Gonna have to see how things develop until we get to 4 Scraps of Lantern to be able to do the Sacrament, but it sounds like a good investment.

Maybe we could even just take a cultist when/if we raid copper for Neighnia.

 

[Greymere]

Maybe we could even just take a cultist when/if we raid copper for Neighnia.

Click to shrink...

If we're raiding Copper we'd might as well just take Copper herself instead of some random cultist.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Frak doing fancy coloring tricks on a mobile phone.

Click to shrink...

Good heavens, double the respect for making all these gradients in a cellphone. Thank you for sharing this!

Also, I can sense the BoH Lore bleeding through it

Edit: @OurLadyOfWires, is that a thing we could potentially do, especially since it's largely built off of a thing (the take your kid/family to work day) that's already happening?

Click to shrink...

I don't really think that's necessary, from a mechanical standpoint. It would be a step towards mitigating a problem that... doesn't exist? I mean, the occurrence of collateral damage during an enemy attack isn't something I put too much thought into. It just has never been something we have ever worried in the quest, to begin with.

Plus, training for what to do in an emergency doesn't really feel like something ponies are prone to do, narratively speaking?

I don't know, that idea just doesn't appeal to me, in all honesty.

So, not a bad suggestion, but I don't think it's something we need to think about right now.

@OurLadyOfWires can we ask Selene to tell us what she knows of Harmony? Or tell her about A Memory of Light?

Click to shrink...

She doesn't remember/know anything relevant. And she lacks the knowledge to help in the research itself.

So, mechanically and narratively, no changes on that front.

"[Grail]!"

Click to shrink...

This is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and thoughtful post about Mareinette I have seen so far.

I can't attest to Cultist Simulator canonical Marinette, from the game. But I agree with almost every word you said here.

Almost.

Still, if I can add my own two cents to your thoughts.

First, although your suggestions were very reasonable, there really isn't much of a way to implement them. In the sense that "trying to socialize" Mareinette is not something you can do mechanically.
Hear me out.
Spending an action to socialize a Name won't really give you any benefits. So, mechanically speaking, I can't offer that as an option you can pick by yourselves. Furthermore, I am personally interested in writing about the Names, so narratively we will not have a dearth of Names having screen time, because I literally want them to have screen time. So even the "narrative" outcome of "socialize Mareinette so we can read more about her" is already being taken care of by me.
Which means that, well, you have very few mechanically viable options to entertain your Honored Guest. One of those options is, well, based on the requests she will make at the end of her binding period. Another option is to not send her on obviously suicidal missions, or to prepare actions that would eventually be used to ambush her. A third option might exist, but who knows at this point.

Regardless. Once again, I would give you an "insightful" rating if we were in the other site, because you have painted a very accurate portrait of our dear Lady. And for all that the "mechanical" and "vote X get Y" options you have are not exactly expansive, you must still mind your manners with her.

Finally, although I don't agree with absolutely everything you said, I still want to point out one thing that you are missing. Namely, do not forget you are always working with incomplete information: You do not know what Mareinette "wants", and that is a piece you are missing when it comes to predicting what she might ask, or how she might react to certain things.

Anyhow, this got a bit too long, so I'll shut up about this. Thank you for your post! I honestly enjoyed reading it.



Anyhow, that seems to be it.

I hope you are all doing well! I will post the Expedition Planning threadmark, because the next update has something that involves information from there. Also, i'll start writing the next update at some point. I want to post it today, but who knows. Frostpunk 2 just came out.

Well, see you all soon!

 

[Rafuki22]

Well, see you all soon!

Click to shrink...

Any hint about when we will meet Ash?

 

[Pittauro]

Good heavens, double the respect for making all these gradients in a cellphone. Thank you for sharing this!

Also, I can sense the BoH Lore bleeding through it

Click to shrink...

oh, @Venerable Ro you edited them in later. they look really nice in there

Finally, although I don't agree with absolutely everything you said, I still want to point out one thing that you are missing. Namely, do not forget you are always working with incomplete information: You do not know what Mareinette "wants", and that is a piece you are missing when it comes to predicting what she might ask, or how she might react to certain things.

Click to shrink...

So in short Venerable Ro painted a good portrait of Mareinette, but the tl dr of what to do if we want to go the friendship route with her can be summarized as

1)Don't act too antagonistic to her, which mainly means don't send her on suicidal mission or obviously plan to kill her

I'll point out that scrying her for weaknesses is one such potential way of making her far less accommodating to us. Nobody enjoys having their weakness made known

2) Satisfy her requests on the renewals if at all possible.

3) maybe use her in ways that would let her have fun.

Thus far we only had the one grail lesson with her, right? That's not the worst thing, Mareinette seemed to enjoy teaching Velvet. We should try to not make her bored.

 

[Sveta08]

This, more than anything, is why I believe it was the right decision to explore the Red Church.

Mareinette is... a threat? A person? A thing? An idea given form if not flesh and a hunger made manifest. She is a thousand things beside, and made of more things than we know.
I would say that the want first and foremost of Velvet is... control? Safety? Her family, obviously, but the manifestation of that is where it goes a bit off the rails. That... that is something that Mareinette knows. Sees. Tastes. And more.

Learning about her is something that we are a bit too... not quite late for, but too late for as her first request. Asking her directly, Mareinette would be able to tell at an instant if we truly were wanting to know more about her and her... everything, or if we were eking out a way to destroy or banish her or be rid of her. And simply put, with how Velvet is right now? That would be a lingering though in her mind regardless, something Mareinette would grasp.

The Red Church was Mareinette's home for... a long time to put it simply. Going there is the second best way to learn about Mareinette and what she wants. Or, helps? Or gives goal to or...
I don't know. I'm walking around my point because I don't know how to put the point in words. Too many unknowns, too many shadows to shed light right.

It will be good to learn what we can. And it will be good to bring Mareinette in soon. Much sooner rather than later.

In the end, Velvet is a Mother. Mareinette was one once too. One deeply steeped in the lores, just as Velvet is. Mareinette sees that. Velvet doesn't. Not yet. And while the paths may be different, while the stories are telling different stories, while the history is different it's... It's that. Mareinette who has feasted on the memories of memories for an era and a day. Velvet who contains that... near familiarity.
Baldomare does not look on the past. Ax hates the past she was handed. Mareinette... drank her past dry how much she loved it.
Maybe it would be good to ask? To offer some small measure. To try and meet.