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

[DelightedOne]

Welp, we found the Forge Name...

(Some assembly required)

I guess we may as well go get that Forge Sacrament, we'll be stacking reagents to the roof anyway so we ought to make sure we're getting maximal bang for our buck.

Click to shrink...

And we only need one Scrap to start it. Progress!

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

...The Forge Sacrament can use Reagents, I don't think that means it creates Reagents. I could be wrong though and the prototypes from the experimenting are still perfectly valid sacrifice material.

 

[Shaper47]

Welp, we found the Forge Name...

(Some assembly required)

I guess we may as well go get that Forge Sacrament, we'll be stacking reagents to the roof anyway so we ought to make sure we're getting maximal bang for our buck.

Click to shrink...

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.

 

[ses]

Crafting Forge reagents is essentially just turning bits into slightly more bits at the cost of actions. Spending a reagent craft on a Forge 2 reagent is +20 effective bits (20 cost for +20 to roll, which would cost 40 in raw bits) and is our most efficient option. That's 1 AP=40 bits, so that's not nearly enough payoff for the worth of an AP. Time to see if Filthy wants to make a child with us! Also study the Lantern 4 artifact, spend all our bits and Selene actions on Mares, and tell them to make us monnnnneyyyy

I'm shocked we didn't get a Forge scrap though... haven't we always gotten a scap for locating new locations?

Edit: @OurLadyOfWires you forgot to color the scrap gain, i missed it my first read

 

[DelightedOne]

I'm shocked we didn't get a Forge scrap though... haven't we always gotten a scap for locating new locations?

Click to shrink...

Dude

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.

Click to shrink...

It is right there.

 

[Shaper47]

Spending a reagent craft on a Forge 2 reagent is +20 effective bits (20 cost for +20 to roll, which would cost 40 in raw bits) and is our most efficient option. That's 1 AP=40 bits, so that's not nearly enough payoff for the worth of an AP.

Click to shrink...

It's worth it for our Forge Sacrament but not the Forge Name.

2 AP and 80 bits over two turns for 4 level 2 reagents.

1 level 4 Forge Influence from Forge Name Daughter.

2 AP and 100 bits on Forge Sacrament.

80 (reagents) + (40 x 2) (Influence) + (40 x 2) (level 4 forge) + (13 x 2) (magic) = 266

300 - 266 = 34

So a DC of 34 with 2 dice and one reroll.

Total cost of 4 AP, 1 Forge Daughter AP and 180 bits.

 

[ses]

If only we had taken the 500 bits from Cadance, we would have created a robot son together.

 

[Sveta08]

My my my...

I wonder...

I'll need a good while to read through this. Or, reread, rather.
It's not going to reveal new info, just helpful for me to make guesses.

 

[spiderhellian]

Glad the apocrypha was enjoyed. Now, let's make it canon.

Mareinette social Spoiled to Confidant, Leash to Minion if need be, Moth + Grail Scrament in one night.

---

Yes, this is exactly the one. I always liked the idea that, despite her hatred for the With-and-Sister, Axe had some parallels with her/them as well.

Thank you for finding it! This was, indeed, yet another one of Spiderhielian's peeks into the future.

Click to shrink...

The funniest piece to me about all this is that as you two were discussing the Axe-mentioning omake that featured a children's story, I was thinking… is that mine? But I didn't think about the Sister-and-Witch when making it, so it can't be…

Little did I realize that, even if it was totally unintentional, there was an echo there!

---

Lovely new update. Wow, are we playing fast and loose with Fascination there at the top of the Mansus.

So cool to be so close. And to be walking in the ruins that made the place what it is.

-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.

Click to shrink...

@OurLadyOfWires to clarify: is this referring to "they will be bound to your orders, and will give you 1 action a turn"?

Or are further details that are common to summons, like "…and they will expire after 3 turns" present as well?

Just not sure exactly what you're referring to by "bound as a regular summons".

 

[spiderhellian]

Some notes on the ritual…

5 bits for +10 = 0.5 bit/bonus
20 bits for +20 = 1 bit/bonus
45 bits for +30 = 1.5 bits/bonus
80 bits for +40 = 2 bits/bonus = standard price.

DC 80 Knock isn't too hard, given a reroll. We can sacrifice a WK or the Level 2 artefact if want, too.

DC 300, hah. Forge as the lore of transforming and destroying our Bit supplies, I love it. When we've got Biedde upkeep (60/turn or 100/3 turns) too. Ah, Cadance bits, I will always miss you…

With 150 ad-hoc bonus (ie, from reagent/bits), we have 9% success chance.

With 175, 50%.

With 200, 79%.

With 225, 95%.

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

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Uncle Steppes, please give us all your mafia money as you retire because Biedde is scary

We need it for additional Names

 

[Shaper47]

So thinking on how the appearance of our new daughter is going to turn out.

The original was made to be like a child of the Sun in Splendour.

Given Velvet's love for her daughter I can see our new daughter being wolf shaped instead of pony shaped.

 

[Pororurin]

As Witherbrine said above, very Gods from Steel vibes from this new name. Considering the whole "kill a god" thing, even if it is an outsider in this scenario and not an Hour. But, as we know (thanks to that FUCKING lamp), the Gods From Steel Do Not Exist.

Then again, something like that feels perfect for SH.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

So thinking on how the appearance of our new daughter is going to turn out.

The original was made to be like a child of the Sun in Splendour.

Given Velvet's love for her daughter I can see our new daughter being wolf shaped instead of pony shaped.

Click to shrink...

Shaper, the common form for all of Velvet's daughters is that of a pony. It's gonna be a pony. Soft isn't even a Wolf right now, she just has a Wolf pacemaker.

 

[Rafuki22]

Now, let's make it canon.

Click to shrink...

If it was up to me i would make it canon with you, but the inhabitants in the sea of choice are complicated.

Also, with this update i just know that it will take more than just a few turns to be properly prepared for All In.

 

[Maer]

Glad the apocrypha was enjoyed. Now, let's make it canon.

Mareinette social Spoiled to Confidant, Leash to Minion if need be, Moth + Grail Scrament in one night.

---

~~snip~~

Click to shrink...

I'm willing to vote for it. Spoiled is the only Pony I've so far met that I'd willingly vote for the consumption of. She's like a horrifying funhouse mirror reflection of Velvet. All the vileness, none of the power, responsibility, or goodness.

If we get the chance? I'm voting for Grail-Mothing her.

 

[Sveta08]

Forgive me this indulgent curiosity.
I don't know the Lores or known History or the Truth. Nor are the Lores colored. But... I hadn't thought about the Forge of Days before.
Now I have.
Forgive me for this.



When the Hands Turn Anew

---

It is nature. It is The Nature.
To call it natural would imply another order it obeys. To call it nurture requires a guiding hand. And perhaps, that is true.
It has always been true before.



An enemy. A tool. One in the same as they always were meant to be.
To create is to reshape. To destroy is to reshape. The same coin. The same hand. Neither separate or unified, only intent implying difference.
It is now made Forge.

WHEN THE FORGE IS COLD​

Light.
A pale reflection of truth. Enough to shine and curse and bless. Called now a new name
Day.

AND THE GLORY IS DARK​

It is a cycle.
All are.
It is nature. It is The nature.

AND THE WOOD IS DUST​

The day made new. Words given to what it is. To Rise. Ascend. Higher and higher to the utmost.
The day to fade. Words given to what it is. To Fall. Descend. Lower and lower till lost forever.
A new day. A light made. Anew.
Such is the way of all things.

​

It is split.
The truth is undivided, but it is split all the same. Words reborn anew as all is renamed. Remembered. Lost. Found anew.
It is a cycle.
All are.


It is not a thought. Nor is it a coincidence. Nor is it required. It is the consequence of nature. Of All Nature.
To gather high is to invite conflict. Thus, it is scattered.
Blood flows. Light spreads. Families grow. Knowledge fades.
All that is gathered scatters. Such is the way of things.


The Sun does not chase the Moon. Day does not swallow the Night. They are made. That they eclipse one another is the time and tides of power.
The New outpaces the Old. Neither at fault, it is simply The Nature.
Night to outgrow Day. Day to outgrow Night. Child to outgrow Parent, and sire anew, to repeat.
History to reiterate. To repeat. To speak the same message for all time.



The Rise
The Fall
The Rise

---

Blood is the tool of the dying. Of the fading. Of the mortal.
It is why it is known as a Price. it is why they are not made with blood.
Here, where metal and stone and gem flow like water. Where born anew are bodies not made flesh. Where what is is remade, renewed, and reborn.


The Red Church below may speak to the body. To the Birth.
But it does not speak to Creation.

AND THE GRAIL IS DRAINED​

Children that laugh. That work. That die.
Not unending. Not unceasing. But roiling, revolving, reviving, reborn anew.
Not lost. Not embraced in change. Fixed and known. Both their destruction. And their birth.

AND THE HEART IS STILLED​

This, where all is Remade. Renewed. Reborn.

AND THE WELL IS DRY​

Home


It is not a duty to instill purpose. To grant them understanding and ambition.
It is a will. A desire. A necesity.

What purpose has a hammer with no nail? What soul has a sword that does not strike?
There are those who venerate the tools. That shape themselves into them. That find glory and honor and worth in the use.
Craftsmen and Weapons both. Both understand. Both fail to understand.

Tools that serve to create greater tools. Weapons that hone sharper weapons.
Hands creating greater hands.
To be eclipsed is the nature. The name stripped away. The purpose renewed.

This is their home. Their birthplace. Their grave.
The first and only. The last and every.
How could she not love them to the last?

---

Slowly.
Dawning.
It came.
Not in question. Not in rot. Not in decay. But a realization. An understanding.
A despair.

AND THE RIVER IS BLANK​

How could she not?
This, a world. A life. A creation of all so beautiful by her own made. Every life fashioned, every tool rebuilt, every soul and every scrap given aim and direction and purpose.
How could she not come to see what was true? The path she walked, unknowing?
The Nature.

AND THE EDGE IS DULLED​

But it did not come.
The pattern did not repeat. The pattern did repeat. But the pattern remained.
Names and Hours and Bodies and Hands. All moved. All were. All change. But It was absolute.

AND THE KEYS ARE LOST​

The Sun rose. The Sun set.
The Moon rose. The Moon set.
And Glory stood eternal.
Unchanging.

---

There was no secrecy. Such things were unneeded.
There were no lies. Such things could not stand.

She worked. She worked and Creation heard her. All of Creation known and answered by her hand.
Such was the act. Such was her crime.

None could stand against she whom was change. None who knew of what she meant would rise against her.
Ignorance or Indolence. Such was their crime.

ONLY THEN WILL HISTORY CHANGE​

It was for love she set on this path. And with love that she left.

​

A kiss. A whispered word. A kindness that she would afford her youngest.
From mother to daughter. A gift. To be destroyed. To be rebuilt. Reborn.
In another era. In another age. A tool to those who might yet know how to use them.

ONLY THEN THE CYCLE REPEATS​

A resolve. The touch of a hoof. An understanding both right and wrong that even the absolute must change.
The blood would never cease. But it was not her intent for it to be stemmed.



Accursed Sibling had fallen. And with them, the Word. Her words lost in his voice.
Warped. Changed. Agonized.

ONLY THEN HANDS TURN ANEW​

Before Glory, a child. A promise. An understanding that she required from her eldest.
From mother to son. That this world is not allowed beyond. That here will be the final steps of the earth.
The door was locked with herself inside, her word to be burned in the light of Glory.

A Curse
A Hope
A Change

 

[Nevermort]

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

Click to shrink...

A bit disappointing that there is no additional locations, but at least if we get SH sacrament next turn we should be able to explore Moon with it.

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.

Click to shrink...

More scraps is always useful, and now we are only one Forge scrap away from Forge Sacrament

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.

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

Click to shrink...

@OurLadyOfWires Was there some change to original plans? I thought we were supposed to find instrument to kill Outsider first. We already knew that it should be in Mallery.
Now I don't really understand how Velvet plans to do it. Does she intends to bring Discord's statue with her into the Mallery? If Velvet can't clear Mallery in one go, does she intends to keep Discord statue under her bed for months?
Most importantly, if Velvet plans to bring Discord statue with her into the dream, does it mean that she needs to sleep alongside it? How are we going to explain it to Stormchaser!!!

 

[Bakkasama]

Most importantly, if Velvet plans to bring Discord statue with her into the dream, does it mean that she needs to sleep alongside it? How are we going to explain it to Stormchaser!!!

Click to shrink...

She brings up the possibility of bringing a third person to their bed. Surprisingly, it isn't Rarity.

She says it helps the Feng Shui.

It brings character to the room.

It is her emotional support Chaos God to sleep better. Instant pouty Selene.

"Velvet, why-"
"Eldritch stuff"

"Velvet!?"
"Ok, you have to admit, this is not the weirdest thing that you caught me doing."

 

[Hooded]

From the moment I understood the weakness of the Gods-From-Flesh, it disgusted me.

I craved the strength and certainty of the Gods-From-Steel. I aspired to the purity of the blessed machine.

 

[ses]

OK we have 451+160+50ish=660ish bits next turn.

60 bits for Biedde.
40 bits for a pleasant hike.
One wrong key and 490 bits to only fail on nat 1
Unknown amount for level 7 book expedition, 70ish bits budget plus 20 if we make a Forge 2 reagent. Plus maybe 5 or 10 more if we want to introduce a tiny bit of risk to the Forge name assembly.

 

[Greymere]

OK we have 451+160+50ish=660ish bits next turn.

60 bits for Biedde.
40 bits for a pleasant hike.
One wrong key and 490 bits to only fail on nat 1
Unknown amount for level 7 book expedition, 70ish bits budget plus 20 if we make a Forge 2 reagent. Plus maybe 5 or 10 more if we want to introduce a tiny bit of risk to the Forge name assembly.

Click to shrink...

We could also save some bits by exchanging AP for efficiency. Which, considering bits are always going to be a problem, especially once we get around to acquiring a 3-circle site, and we still have BtRC Part 3 hanging out in our "uncompleted expeditions" list...

1 AP dedicated to Forge 2 reagents (+60, 60 bits) + 360 bits gets us to a 99.6% chance, total of 420 bits. 2 AP of Forge 2 reagents (+120, 120 bits) + 240 bits gets us to the same with a total 360 bits.

Not like anything's demanding we summon/build them right away next turn, considering we already have a pretty hefty list of potential actions.

 

[ses]

We could also save some bits by exchanging AP for efficiency. Which, considering bits are always going to be a problem, especially once we get around to acquiring a 3-circle site, and we still have BtRC Part 3 hanging out in our "uncompleted expeditions" list...

1 AP dedicated to Forge 2 reagents (+60, 60 bits) + 360 bits gets us to a 99.6% chance, total of 420 bits. 2 AP of Forge 2 reagents (+120, 120 bits) + 240 bits gets us to the same with a total 360 bits.

Click to shrink...

I feel like we've all learned the lesson by this point that Names are incredibly valuable and that getting Names into our faction and getting their AP is essentially always the correct choice.

1 AP dedicated to Forge 2 reagents is only +40 bits. 80 bits less spent directly minus 40 bits spent on the reagents themselves. 40 bits per AP is not really up to snuff on the value of a Velvet AP, considering our revealed preferences on the Blackmail vote.

I assume we'll spend our free reagent craft on a single Forge 2 reagent, meaning that the total cost of the Forge Name will be 470 bits and that we can shave up to another 10 bits off that if we really need to because of our reroll, leaving our Book Expedition budget at 90-100.

I'm honestly looking at delaying our SH Sacrament by yet another turn. Hear me out before rejecting that. If we spend our Baldomare action on a max level Lantern influence, we have a very strong chance of reading the Moth book in a single roll with a Lantern AotL, which means we can do two study AP and study all of Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 5 book, manehattan expedition book, and possibly the Knock 5 book all in one turn (I don't think we need to worry about emergency Baldomare reserve). That's an absurd amount of value for a Name influence action, being rolled 5 times in one turn.

If we get Axe back next turn and it turns out that Befriended names get 2 actions a turn I will push for that very hard.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Velvet Covers. And tonight, you… don't really have anything important to do.

And that, by itself, makes this an exceedingly rare night.

It is the weekend. You are back at home in Ponyville. Your husband is away and your daughters are either asleep, or flying somewhere around Equestria under the moonlight.

And for the first time in a very long time, you are alone. Not in the sense that you are lonely, but rather in the sense that you don't really have anywhere to be, and you don't really have anything to do.

So, even though you have certain privileges that allow you to define when is the right time for something, and even though you have the means so that your time with almost anypony is worth your while, you are just… here.

Still, there is something about tonight, something in the very air, that makes you feel like you are not the only one who feels this way. There is something about tonight that isn't exactly wrong but that still feels strange, or maybe unusual. Something that perhaps was more common, a long time ago, but that hasn't happened as often since Equestria became filled with warmth and song.

Something that makes ponies… think. About the past, or about themselves, or about something else entirely that is still connected to both.

Something that…

…

You don't really feel tired right now. So, there is no point in trying to go to bed.

You make sure to keep the windows open of your room, to let the cool breeze and the moonlight in, and then you set out for a short walk around the house.

It could have been anypony, really. You truly believe that, in a night like this, you would have become a thoughtful company to anypony. To the first pony you bumped into, even, especially given how late it is.

It just so happened that your steps took you to the balcony that oversees the central gardens, before they took you anywhere else.



- - -



"You know, you have a really good thing going on here," he says, as he takes another puff from his cigar.

You don't answer him. Not with words, at least. You don't say anything, you don't nod, you don't even hum in agreement to his words.

Still, the calm smile you have on your face as you look up to the rising moon is enough of an answer.

And truly, in a silent night like this, this kind of answer is as welcome as any other.

"I'm also glad Selene adjusted so well. She might still be the quieter one, but comparing how she was like the last time I visited, it's like night and day," he says.

And this time, a short and quiet laughter escapes your lips as an answer.

You and your uncle Velvet Steppes are currently sitting side by side, on one of the balconies that overlook the central garden. You found him here, sitting on a particular chair and smoking a cigar, and for a moment you mistook him for somepony else. But still, he had none of the sharpness, and none of the harshness, of the pony who first put that seat there. So, you joined him, sitting on the cushion that was by his side, and for a while the two of you just looked out to that calm night.

You like your uncle Steppes. You really do. At times, he makes you feel like a filly, and at times he is so jovial you forget his mane is already greying out.

But tonight, he looks particularly old. Tonight, he looks very old, and very tired, as if he barely had enough energy to reach this place and sit down to begin with. Tonight, for some reason, it truly feels like this might be the last time he ever sees a calm night like this.

So, you are keeping him company. You haven't said anything yet, because there really isn't anything you can say. But still, you are at least keeping him company.

"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 way the moonlight is shining down on his face makes him look both young and old at the same time. Youthful and sagged. Curious, and so very tired. Almost as if he is a mirage, juxtaposed on himself.

You wonder if the moon that is shining down on you tonight really is Selene's moon. Or if, somehow, this is the echo of something older, that was far more common in a time that is now forgotten.

Still, he asked you a question, so you must leave your musings to the side.

"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?"

Ohhhh, but of course. You haven't really thought of her as "a pegasus" in so long that your uncle's question didn't even register that way in your head.

"Ah, that is our Softy. Soft Sweeps is her name. She was Silky's caretaker for a long time, until they became as close as sisters," you say, your voice trailing off here and there as you omit the details that aren't really important. "And when the Catastrophe took away everything else she had… well, she still had us, and she always will," you finish.

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.

And for a while longer, not a single word is spoken between you two.



…



That is, until the moon is so high in the sky it has nowhere else to go but downwards, towards the opposite horizon from where it came.

And something, maybe the moon, or maybe how little time there is left in this night, or maybe how little time he has left as a whole, makes him say those next words.

"I wish I had something like that," he says, with a tone that is too close to a confession. He says that out loud, to nopony in particular, and also to everypony in all of Equestria. Not unlike how a colt would wish on a rare shooting star, except Velvet Steppes is no longer a colt, and there are no longer any stars on his sky.

He says that, and you don't… really know what to say. Not because you lack the guile or empathy to say it, but because there is nothing that can be said.

He wishes he had something like that.

He doesn't have it.

And his time is almost up.

He was given as many hours in a day as anypony else, and he has lived for more years than most ponies. And now, he is at the very end of the road he decided to walk on, this whole time.

So, the ponies he has by his side are the ones he chose to have by his side. And the ones who aren't are the ones he never sought out to begin with.

There is nothing else to say, because there is nothing that can be done about it.

That is just… life.

"I wish… I wish I had some great secret, that I was hiding. You see, some of the boys talk, every now and then. Some of my hirelings talk, and they joke, and they whisper here and there, about Vellum. They say that we look too much alike for it to be a coincidence. They see the color of his fur and they say it's almost a perfect match of mine. And if I were to be abundantly honest… I wish that was true. I wish he was some secret, bastard son that I raised, while pretending he wasn't my own. I wish…"

A shiver runs through your uncle, and he shudders for more than just a moment, as if a cold hoof had been placed on his shoulder.

You wonder if your uncle knows whose chair it is, that he is sitting on. You wonder if he picked this very spot tonight as a coincidence, or if he was invited here by some presence that even now you know is watching you two.

Because for some reason, you can't help but remember something your uncle asked you about, during the first week of his visit. He asked you about a certain "employee" of yours. About a pony who he met, only once, but that left a… lasting impression on him.

You immediately knew who he was talking about. And you could immediately see in your uncle's eyes that meeting had scarred him, in a place that is deeper than just his coat or his fur. But your uncle stopped himself before he could finish his question, and you could see he did not really want to hear the answer. So, he parted ways with a smile, and you realized he chose to pretend that encounter never really happened.

And ever since then, you were oddly aware that Biedde never really crossed paths with your uncle again.

Still, as you watch your uncle shiver, cold despite the warmth of the night and alone despite your presence, you can't help but feel that a cold hoof has just been laid on his shoulder.

Your uncle's teeth are almost chattering when he continues to speak.

"I am not… a good pony, Covers," he says. And this time, you know he is speaking to you.

This time, you know he is confessing to you.

"I have done a lot of bad things in my life. And by now, I know there isn't a way for me to take them back or pay for them."

He isn't really looking at you, as he says that. Instead, he is looking away towards the sky. And even though you can see that the firmament of the world is full of bright and hopeful stars, you somehow know he is looking at the blackness that exists between them.

"But the worst thing I did, the one that haunts me the most, was what I did… to you."

He puts down his cigar, squashing it to an ashtray on the side-rest of the chair. Somehow, the cigar was already out even before he did that, and not a single hint of warmth or spark flew out of it as he did that.

"You probably don't remember. But that doesn't make it any different. Still, when you were young, right after you got hurt. Right after your… scar. I saw what happened. I saw how your father's treatment of you changed. I remember how… confused you were, when you weren't in so much pain you had to sleep through it with your medication."

The wind blows softly through the two of you, barely enough to even disturb your mane.

But somehow, even that light pressure from the passing wind seems to be trying to push you away from him. To distance him from you just a little bit more, as he continues to speak.

"One day, you were everypony's little prodigy. One day, you were your father's little filly, and the joy of our family. And on the next, you... were not. The maids were no longer allowed to see you, and you probably don't even remember who your caretaker was anymore. And you became just… a stain, something shameful to be hidden away."

You won't say you remember everything he is saying. But you do remember the feeling.

You can still feel that well-worn chill in your heart, that you still carry from those days.

Now that you think about it, you never had anypony tell you how it was like, from their perspective. You never had anypony describe that time to you like this. But still, even though his words are new to you, the sensation that they are carrying are familiar, in the worst way possible.

"And I visited you. Of course I visited you. Whenever I was in Canterlot. Every day, when I was in the main house. At times I would keep you company, and at times I would try to make you laugh. Until one day…"

He looks at you as he says that. He looks at you, and his eyes look as old as his voice sounds right now.

He looks at you, and the only thing you can see in his eyes is shame. Shame, and regret.

"… you probably don't remember it. But one day, you asked me to take you away. One day, you asked me to take you with me, back to wherever I lived when I wasn't in Canterlot. One day, you told me you felt like I was the only pony who still loved you, and you asked me if I couldn't be your new father instead. And you know what I did…?"

The answer is obvious.

But even so, the weight his words carry seem to almost crush him as he speaks them.

"I. Did. Nothing."

And he leans back on that seat, as if he couldn't even stand to keep his eyes open anymore.

"My whole life, I was the pony who did your father's dirty work. To this day, I am the one who he calls when something needs to happen. And even back then, as I looked you in the eye while you asked… while you begged me to do that. Even back then, I knew I could do it. I knew I should do it. Because who would stop me? Who would your father call to bring you back, if he was even interested in having you back to begin with?"

The wind blows again, and this time it feels like there is a vast chasm between the two of you.

Even though he is so close that you could touch him if you just raised your foreleg.

"But I didn't. I let you stay there. Alone, in that house, in that room, nursing a scar that would never heal, and slowly withering away into a… No, what I did was even worse than that. Because you might not remember it, but that was the last time I ever visited you. For years, even. That was the last time I saw you, until a few weeks before your arranged marriage. Because I couldn't… even muster the courage to see you and…"

He trails off, this time for good. And you… you don't think he is lying. In fact, you think he is telling you the truth.

Because you don't remember much from that period. In truth, your memory stops a bit before you got hurt, and your closest memory after that is from your days in college, when you were already a grown mare.

Everything in between is… quiet. Flashes of isolation, and piles of book, and nights spent awake when your twisted leg hurt so much you couldn't even cry yourself to sleep.

But you do remember your uncle visiting you, at the very beginning.

And now that you think about it, you don't really remember seeing him after a certain point.

So maybe his story really is the truth. Maybe he really did leave you there, to rot and stay alone and miserable. Simply because he didn't have the courage to…

…

Your uncle is quiet, now. So very quiet. You can barely make out the sound of him breathing, but you know what he is waiting for.



He is waiting for your judgment.



This old stallion, who never had the courage to love anypony over the course of his life, has finally realized that he is now all alone. And that there is nothing to do but await the decision of the single pony whom he failed most deeply.

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?

Still, you don't really care for those deep philosophical implications. Not right now, at least.

Instead, the only thing that comes to your mind is that…



[] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.

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

[] You will not forgive him. But deep down, you do not resent him either.

[] You do not forgive him. And deep down, you resent him.

Spoiler: On forgiveness and resentment

The words "forgiveness" and "resentment" carry very complex meanings, when you really think about it. And while they are not being brushed over or callously thrown here, I must also explain what exactly each choice means.

For the sake of this vote, "forgiveness" refers to actively and physically telling Velvet Steppes that you forgive him. It is the act of saying "I forgive you", either through words or some other mean. It may be a lie, but it is still the decision to act as if you forgive him.

Conversely, "resentment" in this vote refers to how you feel. It is the determination of whether, in your heart of hearts, you truly do not carry any ill will towards him.

You can tell him that you forgive him, and still hate him. You can tell him that what he did cannot be forgiven, but still not hold any spite for him.

Still, you must decide between "yes" or "no" for the two options of how you will act (forgiveness) and how you will feel (resentment).

Since these are the only two criteria, and since each criterion can only be answered with a "yes" or a "no", a total of four options exist.

Each option has a different outcome. This can either continue or entirely redefine your relationship with Velvet Steppes.

Twelve hours moratorium. Vote by approval. Pick as many options as you want, and the single highest-voted option will win.

 

[Arrkhon]

I think these are the general directions these choices will lead to
[] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.
AKA "Lmao who cares, I did worse things and have bigger issues"
[] You will tell him that you forgive him. But deep down, you still resent him.
AKA "Not happy that tbh but I'm not gonna kick you down"
[] You will not forgive him. But deep down, you do not resent him either.
AKA "He looks like he enjoys this suffering so whatever I'll play along"
[] You do not forgive him. And deep down, you resent him.
AKA "Thanks to you I broke everything, thanks"

 

[DelightedOne]

So I guess we are missing Jade's actions(lvl 7 book scrying and MoL), Bureau stuff, DoA's event and Selene soothing the night, unless Bird throws another curveball(or I forgot something).

I just want to forgive and not resent the old stallion, Velvet already had(and has) so many bad feelings in general I don't think we should put more of those on somepony she holds so close to her heart.

And I'm not sure about the rest of you but I actually like Velvet Steppes.

 

[Fouredged]

[] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.

To do otherwise would be hypocritical. We have done worse.

Hell, I want to flash our flank to him and whisper that even scars heal.

 

[ses]

Basically everyone here loves Steppes, it's honestly hard to imagine this vote going any way other than the obvious. It's so lopsided I'm sitting here trying to figure out why we would pick any other option IC or OOC.

That said, if he feels so guilty he can work it off by giving us Confidante AP!

 

[Uruguayan spider]

[ ] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.
I won't say that we did worse, that's obvious. But I want to say that looking around at what we have and those we hold close to our hearts... would we trade it for anything else?

 

[Greymere]

[X] You will tell him that you forgive him. And deep down, you do not resent him.

I won't say that we did worse, that's obvious. But I want to say that looking around at what we have and those we hold close to our hearts... would we trade it for anything else?

Click to shrink...

12 hour moratorium