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

Voting will open in 16 hours, 9 minutes
@OurLadyOfWires, minor typo but thought I'd point it out.
-Pompom's voice, at first coming from a great distance, but eventually from right behind you, snaps you back to reality.

Also, hi again everyone. Still working on catching up with thread reading, but it's going. Hope you've all been doing well.
 
Selene (6 health, MOTH 3, EDGE 3, WINTER 3, KNOCK 3)
(As the self-elected best alicorn daughter, Selene has THREE actions per turn)
-[] [SELENE] You need her to talk to somepony about… Twilight Sparkle

Maybe send Selena to talk to her as Princess Luna? Or if not talk, then at least find out what's going on. Even after everything that happened, she's still the guardian of the element of FRIENDSHIP MAGIC, and I don't want to find out what happens if she becomes a wolf cultist. That way, even if the conversation doesn't help or doesn't happen (I don't believe that even talking to Luna will change anything), at least we'll be in the know.
 
Maybe send Selena to talk to her as Princess Luna? Or if not talk, then at least find out what's going on. Even after everything that happened, she's still the guardian of the element of FRIENDSHIP MAGIC, and I don't want to find out what happens if she becomes a wolf cultist. That way, even if the conversation doesn't help or doesn't happen (I don't believe that even talking to Luna will change anything), at least we'll be in the know.
We can't, QM already said that Velvet(and consequently her faction) cannot be given actions to interact with Twilight.
 
Ok, so.. 13 AP
Rarity: Focus on her work
Servants and Risen: Cover bases
Baldomare: Influence
Biedde: Influence
Selene: Soothe the night
DoA: Craft wrong keys
Mareinette: Spoiled Rich?
AotL x3 Edge

That is 11

Do we want to get cute and have the Risen grave rob to make another Risen to cover our bases with instead? Do we want to leash Filthy for an extra follower AP (so we have 3 left and we can do another cover our bases)?

Edit: oh right, we wanted to do some scrying for books. Probably not a second cover our bases then, so there isn't much point in leashing Filthy.
 
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Scheduled vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Apr 28, 2025 at 12:31 AM, finished with 272 posts and 35 votes.
REGRET!

I SHOULD HAVE VOTED RARE ITEM!

😭😭

He's still Rare Fabric / Rare Silk to me!!!

The way that the LIGHT refracts is just so… mesmerizing.
please don't be Fascination... we really don't need THAT right now!

A dress. A filly-sized dress, more practical than elegant, but still with a few gems to make it prettier. Perfect for a filly to play in, while still being the center of attention.

Perfect for a… for a cute-ceñeara. Your daughter's cute-ceñeara.
well, when you replace one kind of Fascination with a more MOTHerly one 🤣

You can afford these slips.

As long as you don't slip too deep into the light.



You should figure out what to do about this.

All of this.
Velvet is so close to Glory, it must hurt to delay...

Especially because, technically speaking, nothing stops her from going for All In NOW, beside our wish to be MORE ready.

Which means getting Sacraments, befriending Mareinette and (😭) Cherenkov and Baldomare, and summoning AT LEAST 3 Mares-in-the-Light (maybe more).

Oh, and acquiring more artifacts to give our minions, of course.

Torn Risen: 1
Rarity: 1
Jade Whistle: 1 0 (Borrowed on the previous turn)
Fluttershy: 1
Baldomare: 1
Mareinette: 1
Velvet Axe: 2
Biedde: 1
Cherenkolt: 1
Selene: 3
Household servants: 1

13 follower actions. 14 with Filthy Rich leashed, I suppose (and damn, we went from "No Leash it's evil!" to "we need APs so much...")...

Additional notes:
Tally
-Cherenkolt, your latest... creation, has accepted his name. Although you don't think he will ever deny anything that comes from you. Even... Well, he is currently in your workshop, disguised as an intricate and half-finished clock to conserve its energy. You will properly address him later. (Winning vote)
-You have decided to signal to Mareinette that you are still interested in hosting her. You can only wait and see how she will react in turn. (Winning vote)
-Jade Whistle said she wishes to do something, on her own, and will be unavailable this turn. But from next month onward, she believes she will be able to aid you with more types of research than just those of her dreams.
-Rarity has, with the most apologetic of tones, told you she feels she is falling behind with her contract with the Needles. She asked if you could (pretty please) not ask her to take any commissions this month. Or, ideally, let her focus fully on her career instead. (Note, Rarity is a Minion, you may order her to do whatever you want, and this is just her personal request).
-Selene, your beloved daughter, has asked to be ordered to "Soothe the Night" again this turn.
-The following Fleeting Opportunities will be available this turn:
--You promised Soft Sweeps to let her do something for you. (May be performed with your "free social action". You also may choose not to pick this, and hope things end up well on their own, although you have no idea how those chips might fall. Mareinette may NOT perform this action.)
--Uncle Steppes has asked for a little more of your time, to give you a "gift". (May be performed with your "free social action". You also may choose not to pick this, in which case you will still receive a "gift" but will have no say on its details. Mareinette MAY perform this action.)
1) Cherenkolt... we might want him on "prison building" duties, OR on Scrying duties, depending on the plan. Which means that either the secondary lore doesn't matter, or we want it set to Lantern.

2) Mareinette... we're at this point aiming for her friendship and Sacrament (the scrap, without the power until we reach Grail 5, admittedly) next turn. Which means promising the dinner next turn. We need to make a prison and secure Velvet Hill or a criminal this turn, OR commit to eating Spoiled next turn.

3)Next turn we'll likely start to use Jade to make either rituals or to study artifacts we get from expeditions I imagine, either to sell them or to use them ourselves in All In

4)Rarity career, fair enough. I'm hoping Bird commented on the renegotiating the contract in a following post...

5) Selene on Soothe The Night, fair enough. Other two will probably be scrying for lvl 6 forge reagent and lvl 7 book.

6) Free social on Soft Sweeps, fair enough. I probably forgot it in previous plan drafts.

7) Ideally we do Steppes, but we'll see.

if Bird commented on renegotiating, I'd like to do that... which means I'd likely use Mareinette for Grail influence, so that Velvet might use the improved diplo scores on both Spoiled Rich AND Renegotiating... but admittedly I don't think we CAN afford to renegotiate NOW. Maybe next turn instead?

--[] You might need a place to… "store" your enemies. Alive. Dig a small prison under her house.
--[] Actually, you will need a LOT more space. Dig under Jade's house, enough room for a 3 circle ritual. (Progress 0/400. Applies Martial and Forge knowledge.)
If we're going for father or criminal "victim", we need a prison.

Cherenkolt, with his +60 and reroll, will NEAR CERTAINLY complete it in one turn, I'm sure.

Statistically, I missed one or two things. Kindly point them out, as needed, and this post will be updated.
@OurLadyOfWires how would renegotiating the Needle contract work, and would it be worth it? With Rarity's reputation as THE Dressmaker that made the Dress for PRINCESS CADANCE, Surely there's room to improve the contract, or just find someone who'd pay more and better for it?

Between super-grail from Mareinette for it, and Rarity's improved reputation, and even potentially some Cadance endorsement (surely it wouldn't be that much of a favour to ask her to wear a few Rarity dresses around and speak well of her with other nobles?) it should be feasible.

If you ask her now, you will be able to ask her again on turn 25. If you ask her on turn X, you can ask for it again at the BEGINNING of turn X+3. The cooldown of three turns means that "Turn X, turn X+1 and turn X+2 are the cooldown period, if you ask at the beginning of turn X."
ok, so there's an incentive to ask for Keys now.


Ok, tentative plan... I'll write actions for all followers, even if we technically don't assign the general ones.

PLAN 1: RANDOM CRIMINAL PRISONER

BUREAU:

Detectives: Dodge City
Constables: Tall Tale
Commissioner: Hooves dirty (Tall Tale)

Free Manuscript: Lantern

FOLLOWERS

Torn Risen: 1 - AotL Edge
Rarity: 1 - Career focus
Jade Whistle: 1 0 (Borrowed on the previous turn)
Fluttershy: 1 - Cover Your Bases
Baldomare: 1 - Lantern Influence
Mareinette: 1 - Spoiled Rich social
Velvet Axe: 2 - Cover Your Bases, Cover Your Bases.
Biedde: 1 - Edge Influence
Cherenkolt: 1 - Prison building
Selene: 3 - Scry lvl 6 reagent, scry lvl 7 book, Soothe the Night
Household servants: 1 - Cover Your Bases
Filthy Rich (leashed): 1 - Cover Your Bases


Velvet

4-1+2= 4 actions (2 from Cover Your Bases). +1 free social.

SOCIAL: Soft Sweeps FO
1+2+3: Study books and Artifacts
4: Steppes FO
5:

Ok, I'm having some problems here.

If we want to scry for a criminal to kill, we need 3 scrying actions (reagent 6, book 7, criminal).

Selene can do 2 while doing Soothe the Night. Jade is unavailable. That only leaves... I think Velvet herself for the third scrying ritual, assuming we want Baldomare to still give us the Lantern Influence.

if I want Velvet to use an action to scry, I can't afford the Edge Sacrament. Which admittedly frees 2 servant actions from Edge AotL to Cover Your Bases instead...

...Should I delay Edge Sacrament, OR remove the third study action maybe? OR I could have Cherenkov do the scrying, in which case though someone ELSE needs to build the prison (Maybe Axe? She has +30, it's not a bad score all things considered, even if it's not the +60 with reroll Cherenkov has...


The problems from above are not as relevant with father prisoner (we don't need to scry for him, just send Axe lead and Biedde or Mareinette follower to get him).

They're basically absent with Spoiled as victim, as she doesn't need either scrying OR prison, just the social we'd want anyway for the Moth Sacrament...


...I'll try to make a plan for each of three victim cases later I think.

Hm. So even if we sell it we can't use the bits for Hill this turn.
oh, I didn't notice this, shame.

We might actually want to sell the Edge 3 artifact then. We could REALLY use 200 bits in the next few turns, between Biedde, Forge Sacrament, expeditions, scrying rituals and summoning Mares in the Light.
 
If people plan to use Mareinette to social Spoiled can I suggest Leashing Cheerily instead of Filthy Rich. Last time during Mareinette visit Filthy still tried to help Tiara despite Mareinette gaslighting. Him staying near would help Tiara I think.
 
If people plan to use Mareinette to social Spoiled can I suggest Leashing Cheerily instead of Filthy Rich. Last time during Mareinette visit Filthy still tried to help Tiara despite Mareinette gaslighting. Him staying near would help Tiara I think.
uh. I forgot she's a close friend too now, so that is indeed an option
 
This sounds similar to Fascination
Yes but no.

This is just the natural consequence of Velvet rising so high and being unable to claim Glory.
Yet.

It is Also a reflection of our discussion.
I think I only counted maybe four posts talking about Silky's inevitable cutcinera, and about fourteen pages of discussion about Glory.
 
Edit: oh right, we wanted to do some scrying for books. Probably not a second cover our bases then, so there isn't much point in leashing Filthy.
We actually can take a second cover our bases, we have a risen, a servant, Fluttershy, a leashed close friend and for the last follower action either Selene or DoA use one of their actions.

Scrying for the Forge 6 reagent is not that important when we can make one, even if it is expensive.
 
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Current bits: 105 (all changes for this turn were accounted for during Cherenkolt's summons)
We have exactly enough bits that if we drop scrying for a Forge 6 reagent and just commit to spending the bits on making it, we can afford to send three people to ruin Hill's day.

Question is, what combination of Names? DoA + Mareinette + Biedde seems the most obvious, but we could also put Cherenkolt into Moth Mode and do DoA + Mareinette + Cherenkolt, or do something like DoA + Mareinette + Baldomare. Maximum sneakiness would be DoA + Biedde + Moth-Cherenkolt.

@OurLadyOfWires considering this is Velvet Hill we're talking about, and I assume Velvet has a bit more than a passing familiarity with the place she spent a considerable chunk of her life at, does that give us any particular advantage? Some insight on what hurdles might be present?
 
Okay, we have no button we can press that gets us the extra 5 bits we need for a 2nd ticket to Assault an Opponent other than trading in Rarity's career for it.

If we drop the Reagent scry, that leaves us is 105-30(Book scry)=75, allowing for three Name tickets to the Hills estate.

Selene: Scry(Level 7 book)/Spy on Windy/Soothe
Axe: Assault/Wrong Keys
Baldomare:Influence
Biedde:Influence/Assist Assault
Mareinette:Honored Guest/Assist Assault
Cherenkolt: Build a Prison
Jade: LOCKED
Rarity: Career
Servants/Risen/Comet Feet/Filthy: Basesx2 and either Search for Expeditions x2 or Edge AotL x2
Bureau: Dodge City/Tall Tale/Hoofs Dirty/Lantern
Liquidate: Edge 3

We can either take the Edge Attentions and do the Biedde duel, or we can take two generic search for expedition actions and use the action to Teach Rarity up to Seeker. We wont have a chance to ask for Wrong Keys for a while after this so it's do it now or we'll have a coverage gap against the Death Note.
 
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Cherenkolt needs to be putting his Forge levels to making damn sure the Build a Prison action succeeds if we choose to assault Hill.
Assaults are considered short expeditions, so he's perfectly capable of both building a prison and also helping out with the Hill Assault. It's not like he loses Forge levels by switching the lesser Lore to Moth.
 
Assaults are considered short expeditions, so he's perfectly capable of both building a prison and also helping out with the Hill Assault. It's not like he loses Forge levels by switching the lesser Lore to Moth.

I didn't realize you meant sending him not-miniaturized until after I already posted

I think Mareinette and DoA are both needed, for Knock levels and Grail levels, more than 3 extra moth levels. Sending him instead of Biedde seems dubious, since Edge is going to be more useful than Forge. I can't imagine there being a Forge hurdle that isn't approachable by Knock, and we'd want to take the Knock approach anyway.

Okay I'm confused on why Wrong Keys suddenly became something we want when we still have 2 that won't break till turn 24. Was there any strategy behind it?

There's a very high chance that DoA is doing Long expeditions on turn 23 and 24, which means if we don't do it now we'll have a coverage gap since Long expeditions eat both her actions.
 
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There's a very high chance that DoA is doing Long expeditions on turn 23 and 24, which means if we don't do it now we'll have a coverage gap since Long expeditions eat both her actions.
Nah, it'd still be fine I think. Even if she's completely busy on T23 and T24, the Wrong Keys don't break until the end of T24, and they can be used on the turn they're created, so if we need to pull some out on T25 to deflect a ritual we're still all good.
 
We have exactly enough bits that if we drop scrying for a Forge 6 reagent and just commit to spending the bits on making it, we can afford to send three people to ruin Hill's day.

Question is, what combination of Names? DoA + Mareinette + Biedde seems the most obvious, but we could also put Cherenkolt into Moth Mode and do DoA + Mareinette + Cherenkolt, or do something like DoA + Mareinette + Baldomare. Maximum sneakiness would be DoA + Biedde + Moth-Cherenkolt.

I am partial of DoA + Mareinette + Velvet or at least DoA + Mareinette + Baldomare as we may need Lantern to find hidden safes. But it also not something that we need to decide during Follower vote.
 
There's a very high chance that DoA is doing Long expeditions on turn 23 and 24, which means if we don't do it now we'll have a coverage gap since Long expeditions eat both her actions.
Ah, guesswork and paranoia. The bread and butter of this quest.

I don't really think she will be doing long expeditions in 2 different turns, especially consecutive ones.
 
I am partial of DoA + Mareinette + Velvet or at least DoA + Mareinette + Baldomare as we may need Lantern to find hidden safes. But it also not something that we need to decide during Follower vote.
...It is really tempting to have Velvet lead, honestly. And we do have the Follower AP to let Velvet do Level Rarity (social) + Study/Study/Study/Soft FO/Assault...

Ah, guesswork and paranoia. The bread and butter of this quest.

I don't really think she will be doing long expeditions in 2 different turns, especially consecutive ones.
It also doesn't matter even if she does, because if we're getting attacked by a ritual on T25 we can just make Wrong Keys then :V
 
Alrighty! Let's cover the parts pretty much everyone agrees with.
In other words, the Bureau, and Selene things.


-[] [DETECTIVES] (FOLLOW UP) They have confirmed the presence of changelings in Dodge City. Have them take a closer look, and focus their efforts there. (May not be picked with "Siege Dodge City")
-[] [CONSTABLES] (FOLLOW UP) Everypony heard what happened to your previous prisoner. Nopony wants to sit around and wait for what happens next. Time to raid the mountain of Tall Tale.
-[] [COMMISSIONER] Get your hoofs dirty. (Participate in the "Investigators" and "Constables" actions.)
-[] [DIRECTOR] Introduce another Lore to the Lunar Bureau. LANTERN

-[] [SELENE] Soothe the night. (Her Winter realization. Unknown effects, if any.)



No one I've seen seems much against these. If you want to fight about stuff let it not be this.

Next! Just under that level of agreement is Focus and Planning!
Primarily, what are we doing to prepare for All in and Sacraments and things that make sense for Velvet. There are some arguments about what's most important, but I still feel these are safe enough to presume


-[] [MAREINETTE] You need her to talk to… Spoiled Rich and Filthy Rich
-[] You need somepony to perform this ritual… (RoTT expected by Selene) Lv7 Book

Free Social: Soft Sweeps FO

I am not gonna put together a full plan quite yet, but will say I'm mostly gonna be gunning for the Edge Sacrament this turn, with potentially squeezing in Velvet Hills attack.
But. For these basic things. People agree with, yes?
 
I mean I'm happy taking a Burglary action with that Axe AP personally.

Baldomare going on the expedition is indeed tempting for the sake of passing the "Find Moveable Assets" hurdle... losing out on three Moth levels makes me nervous. Biedde is a professional assassin and not taking him increases the chance we fail at the core priority of remaining silent, and also reduces the chances we can defeat bodyguards quietly and nonlethally. I don't think we can afford the risk of not taking Biedde. DoA doesn't lap Watchponies hard enough that she can take penalties for nonlethal and still be utterly assured of victory. Biedde will do so if ordered.

Mareinette's Grail also drastically increases the chances that the Name team figures a way into Hills' bedroom without collateral, since we saw it can be used to gain scouting info as well as combat suspicion in the Copper assault and the assault on Velvet's estate.

Nah, it'd still be fine I think. Even if she's completely busy on T23 and T24, the Wrong Keys don't break until the end of T24, and they can be used on the turn they're created, so if we need to pull some out on T25 to deflect a ritual we're still all good.
Good point.

...weeeeeeelll....

I'd like to level up Rarity while she's here and not out on a commission?

I also really want to level up Rarity, though I'm afraid that it might get cut.

I think we also can make a viable decision next turn between scrying for a reagent and simply delaying the friendship for a turn or doing the refinement ourselves. Doing the refinement ourselves is REALLY action and bits intensive! Probably not worth the extra Forge Name AP.

Actually I think we should send the Bureau after Windy. Now that we have their loyalty secured it's safer.

And we need to do something about him!!!

There is no way in hell that we're pulling resources off the Changelings this turn, we NEED a win on that front after the delays. And rooting out the bugs from Dodge Junction before they spread yet again is probably important for having Bureau resources free on future turns. There's probably only an infestation there because we delayed Tall Tale for 2 months due to the Gardeners.

If we drop the reagent scry we can reassign that Selene AP to spying on Windy though. It's quick, it's easy, and it's free!
 
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Actually I think we should send the Bureau after Windy. Now that we have their loyalty secured it's safer.

And we need to do something about him!!!
Next turn. We got a hint that shit is going to happen in Tall Tale when Mareinette was dressing up as Cadance and we shouldn't ignore it.

I also would prefer to go after Neighnia but what could happen if we leave Names alone in the Wake? *Looks at "A Handsome Groom"*
 
Tbh, I'm currently eyeballing having DoA's second AP and Selene's previously-used-for-reagent-scrying AP go toward building that three-circle site. Even if they don't have any Forge, two 1d100+30s still provides an average of +160 progress (out of 400). Which is pretty good, and could enable us to finish it up next turn w/ Cherenkolt and some help, probably.

Especially since like. It's a 400-point project, Cherenkolt's not finishing that in a single AP on his own no matter how well he rolls.
 
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...weeeeeeelll....

I'd like to level up Rarity while she's here and not out on a commission?
I also really want to level up Rarity, though I'm afraid that it might get cut
I have no problem with that. We just gotta scrounge up some time for Velvet to do that.
If you are arguing we should not do Soft Sweeps action and instead raise Rarity up a bit. I will fight you tooth and nail and bring all I can to bare to prevent such a thing. That is The Wolf Daughter who we agreed to help. I'm not fan of the wolf, but I am far far less a fan of letting whatever Pandoras box of woes out by spiting that action.
 
I have no problem with that. We just gotta scrounge up some time for Velvet to do that.
If you are arguing we should not do Soft Sweeps action and instead raise Rarity up a bit. I will fight you tooth and nail and bring all I can to bare to prevent such a thing. That is The Wolf Daughter who we agreed to help. I'm not fan of the wolf, but I am far far less a fan of letting whatever Pandoras box of woes out by spiting that action.

We have been promised DIRE CONSEQUENCES for failing to uphold that promise. That's a game-over level priority. I don't think anyone considers that an option. No need to tilt at windmills.

Tbh, I'm currently eyeballing having DoA's second AP and Selene's previously-used-for-reagent-scrying AP go toward building that three-circle site. Even if they don't have any Forge, two 1d100+30s still provides an average of +160 progress (out of 400). Which is pretty good, and could enable us to finish it up next turn w/ Cherenkolt and some help, probably.

Especially since like. It's a 400-point project, Cherenkolt's not finishing that in a single AP on his own no matter how well he rolls.

at a 400 point project I kind of want to just double-Lore the Bureau for turns 23 and 24. Getting a 3circle site is a perk we can get once our cult establishment is good enough at the Bureau. I don't think we're going to hit 400 points of investment sooner than we can hit 5/9 lores anyway: Cherenkolt is almost certainly spending his action next turn as an artifact to assist in expeditions.

Between the options of "Wait until the Bureau is converted enough we can do summonings in Canterlot, invest 400 points of Follower AP into building one at Jade's house, and Send Mareinette to Confidante Applejack so we can use HER barn" I think I like the 400 point option least.
 
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