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

Reader mode
Pittauro said:
Glory is there, please go get Glory, I'm begging you
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"The Glory is a question, and the Moth always answers Yes. The Black-Flax's answer is No, and that is always its answer."
(The) Velvet would never seek Glory; by obtaining it, she becomes something other than Velvet. A chilling reminder of what is lost in the pursuit of power 😔 (/s)
 
I have come to realize that my suggested ritual ideas are something called 'therapy', just being enforced by an external supernatural force non-consensually manipulating your mind in order to force healing that would otherwise not easily take effect.

In a similar vein, perhaps sic Ash on Daybreaker, while having Selene soothe and comfort Celestia? I say 'have' Selene do it. We know she's planning to support and comfort Celestia, so if Ash can be taught to target Daybreaker separately from Celestia, somehow… maybe.

I wonder if there's a ritual we could do- SH? Moth? Winter?- to mentally separate Celestia and Daybreaker…? We know the Master solely hid inside Shining with no one knowing- not even Shining himself. Could we bond Daybreaker in a similar way, but with the Key on our end? Perhaps pay upkeep like with the Names in a sort of… reverse summoning? Not ideal, but maybe possible…?
 
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That's why I did specify 'if Ash can be taught to target Daybreaker separately from Celestia' and then pondered Rituals to separate them in a more literal sense than they have now.
 
Greymere said:
I think that's just the Rite Intercalate :V
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And suddenly I'm once again glad Celestia didn't get a 0 on her mentality role. I could see the consequences of going Coelle as the SUN pony invoking the Intercalate upon the world. Along with all the ugly stuff that came afterwards.
 
Nah. Mostly me coming up with increasingly silly or potentially useful ideas for occult, ritually enforced, long-distance therapy that we couldn't even use without breaking our word to Selene. So… yeah.
 
Well.

Heck of something to read back. For no though? Shrug.
Instead, I have offer a fun sad thought!

If Jade was higher in Heart, I bet she would be able to talk with Twilight.
 
Sveta08 said:
Well.

Heck of something to read back. For no though? Shrug.
Instead, I have offer a fun sad thought!

If Jade was higher in Heart, I bet she would be able to talk with Twilight.
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Rafuki22 said:
Then Velvet needs to become someonw GREAT enough to give Jade a Sacrament.
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I think OurLady has said that he doesn't want to talk about sacramenting followers (5:3 followers) until we have one of our own. That said, we may be able to look into something like that soonish given our plans (and prayers).
 
Sveta08 said:
If Jade was higher in Heart, I bet she would be able to talk with Twilight.
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Bird would either need to be very generous with us and give that conversation as a gift or Velvet would need to get over her guilt and focus on actually trying to help Twilight instead of being all "I ruined her life...".

Yes, you did. Now it is time to set things right as much as you can by giving her the Jade Whistle special.

Now unless the memories unlocked by FR manage to change Velvet enough to make her face Twilight and help her or any other BIG similar development we can consider that door locked.
 
DelightedOne said:
Bird would either need to be very generous with us and give that conversation as a gift or Velvet would need to get over her guilt and focus on actually trying to help Twilight instead of being all "I ruined her life...".

Yes, you did. Now it is time to set things right as much as you can by giving her the Jade Whistle special.

Now unless the memories unlocked by FR manage to change Velvet enough to make her face Twilight and help her or any other BIG similar development we can consider that door locked.
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Hmm. Maybe I should have worded it better.

I think with more Heart, Jade would be capable of reaching Twilight. She is... Very familiar with that sort of despair. That sort of misery and living in a place that surrounds you.
I don't know if Velvet would send Jade to speak with Twilight. Not if Jade would reach out.

Maybe it's a path sworn off by this history?
Just looking at pieces, seeing a key to a lock we once tried to force open and broke.
 
In which a spark is reignited
Okay, my mind went crazy with a possible Twilight recovery so here is the thing.



You are Velvet Covers and you... and you...

You can't believe you're doing this. Not again, not after what happened the last time you tried to talk to Twilight Sparkle.

You failed to help her then, so why are you even bothering trying now? Is it because you understand Grail better than you did back then, because of your recent Dance with death or are you just tired of making mistakes?

Well, none of that matters right now when you are already in front of her home. The library that used to be so lively is now a rotten tree, a shadow of a happier, more innocent time for its now sole occupant that seems to scream that its current state is your fault.

You decide to ignore it.

Just like in that fateful day the door is locked and you can't help but think it has been locked for a long time, possibly since your last visit.


[Outpacing the Wolf, breakpoints 60/80/100]

[Roll: 79 + 12 (Intrigue) + 20 (MOTH bonus) = 111]

[His tracks are fresh in the snow, the air is thick with his smell, but you found her before He did]


And she is still there too.

You hope that is a good thing, that you're not too late, that you can still save your friend that pony you care about.

The door is the only obstacle in your path. Well, as much as any regular door has been an "obstacle" for you this year(so, not at all), a quick tap of your hoof is enough to unlock it and allow you passage into her... home.

The feeling you had when you reached the library is stronger now that you are inside of it, its state of disrepair serving as a warning of what will happen should you fail in your self-appointed task.

A brief look at your surroundings makes your eyes fixate on the stairs to her room, where you once whispered nightmares to her so that ugly, twisted LIGHT that took hold of her could be snuffed out. She must be there.

As you reach the stairs you can't help but remember who accompanied you when you climbed these steps for the first time: Spike, her brother, the child that died because you chose to spare Twilight's feelings.

If you could go back in time you would make another choice, anything to avoid the guilt you feel for ruining two lives.

The climb is slow(maybe you're stalling or maybe you're just trying to not startle Twilight when she is already in a vulnerable state) and when you reach her room you can see Twilight as she is now: broken, defeated, void of any hope for the future.

But you still need to try.

"Twilight?"

Her ears move. She heard you, but her body does not make any movement that indicates the intention of looking towards the direction your voice came from.

You know you need to move to have her attention so you cross the room and stand in front of her when you say "Twilight? I... need to talk to you."

Her head lifts itself slowly, her eyes dull, it's almost like she is seeing right through you instead of looking at you.

"Why... are you... here? I don't... I want to be alone"

Her voice is weak, she must have been silent for so long you wonder how she survived in that state you worry about how painful it must have been to endure that all alone.

"I-I came here because I'm worried about you Twilight Sparkle, I came here because I want to help you but most of all I came here because..."

[Reigniting the Spark. Breakpoints, 80/120/150]

[Roll: 48 + 14 (Diplomacy, Grail doubled) + 40 (GRAIL bonus, doubled) = 102]

[Velvet Covers invokes GRAIL re-roll]

[Re-roll: 74 + 14 (Diplomacy, Grail doubled) + 40 (GRAIL bonus, doubled) = 128]

[Second Breakpoint reached]

"Because you're my friend"

You see something change in her gaze for a moment, as the words you say awaken something in her she probably never thought would be possible for her to feel again. It is almost like a Spark of some sort just... appeared in her eyes.

And you know that is just the start but you can't help the relief that comes to you when you realize what that means.

You managed to reach Twilight Sparkle in her darkest hour.

That won't be enough to fix everything(or anything meaningful) but it is a good start.

<80: You failed, again. (Nothing will change. Dread)

80: She will at least try to live now. (Twilight Sparkle won't be LOCKED as an Acquaintance anymore and Velvet Covers will be able to use actions to restore their friendship)

120: "I came because I am your friend" (Twilight Sparkle will be your Friend again, Velvet Covers will be able to invest actions to assist in Twilight's recovery)

150: ???
 
Shaper47 said:
I for one are glad we're not wasting our time on Twilight anymore.

Twilight made her own choices and now she reaps the seeds she has sown. The consequences of her actions.
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Even if her way of trying to save Celestia was foolish, I think being kidnapped for months, mutilated, and having nearly her entire family die is a pretty disproportionate consequence for trying to save one of her mother figures.
 
Shaper47 said:
I for one are glad we're not wasting our time on Twilight anymore.

Twilight made her own choices and now she reaps the seeds she has sown. The consequences of her actions.
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The real kicker about Twilight is that she basically never got to make choices and was always out of every important loop.

First, Celestia leaves her on "delivered" and not even "read", then she has her first bout of Fascination.
OurLadyOfWires said:
You start whispering to her how her life might turn out if she continues to foster that opaque light behind her eyes. You whisper to her how her life will be like if Spike were to leave her, because of that.

You start whispering to her how things would be… if he were to die by her fault, by virtue of a twisted accident or otherwise, should she allow herself to be drawn deeper and deeper into the
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Haha... Velvet is probably still kicking herself for this one.

Afterwards, "Celestia" rejects her. And then we come in, don't say anything about changelings, are essentially working with Twilight on the premise of "just trust me bro", which is something that Twilight HATES doing (and I can't imagine we ever got to "Feeling Pinkie Keen" before Luna's nightmare), and then tell her to have faith in Celestia.

And then Twilight actually trusted us on that.

So now Twilight is getting bounced around from the changelings to the cult*. And then suddenly Twilight sees us saying "Have faith Twilight! I'll help you soon."

*and then by Velvet.

Finally, here comes Velvet 2 months later. And we tell her this:
OurLadyOfWires said:
Because Twilight Sparkle doesn't need to like you for her to be willing to follow you.



[Convincement?, cd 80]

[Roll: 48 + 13 (Diplomacy) + 15 (GRAIL bonus) + 40 (An incarnadescence) = 116]



"I will take you back to your family."

That is all you have to say.
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Haha... Velvet you've done it again...

Spike? Dead (and she probably DOES blame herself for that one). Her parents? Dead. Celestia? "Who's Twilight?"

She still has Shining Armor and Cadance though right? Right!?

Nope. Shining doesn't believe her (pull pull pull). Cadance seems to come by to invite her to her wedding literally months later. Didn't seem to go well.

I can't imagine this Twilight had time to make close friends either...

Finally, just as the cherry on top, no horn means no magic, so even her passion is dead.

Twilight is reaping the consequences of basically everything EXCEPT her own actions.
 
Earth-Destroyer said:
Twilight was doomed the moment Velvet passed on the chance to become her mentor. The monsters of the world care not for ignorance.
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I know OurLady has kept it very close as to what happened here, and for good reason too, but I can imagine that if the quest ends in a victory and QM is willing to pull back the curtains on the background and what ifs, this is gonna be one of the most strongly requested questions.
 
Shaper47 said:
I'm mainly talking about her relationship with Velvet.

Velvet reached out, she made a lot of effort, she sacrificed a lot for Twilight. But friendship is a two way street and Twilight spat on Velvet's efforts.
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That's... I don't have words for how CRUEL this is.

Also wrong, because while Velvet DID indeed make some sacrifices for Twilight, most of her problems are at least indirectly our fault, and she doesn't even KNOW what we gave up for her.

Any reasonable person in her situation would be extremely wary and doubtful of Velvet in her situation.

Flaregamer82253 said:
Twilight is reaping the consequences of basically everything EXCEPT her own actions.
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well, she DID decide to go back to Celestia right that very second.

But that's basically the ONLY wrong decision she made, and even that is in large part our fault.
 
Pittauro said:
That's... I don't have words for how CRUEL this is.

Also wrong, because while Velvet DID indeed make some sacrifices for Twilight, most of her problems are at least indirectly our fault, and she doesn't even KNOW what we gave up for her.
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Aside from all that, there is also the fact she was a Good Friend(past version of Close Friend) due to the "mentorship" that never really started so saying that she "spat" on Velvet's efforts of friendship is completely wrong.

The Confidante option was given, the price was deemed too high so Velvet encouraged Twilight to not give up on Celestia. That didn't end well. End of story.
 
DelightedOne said:
The Confidante option was given, the price was deemed too high so Velvet encouraged Twilight to not give up on Celestia.
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It wasn't that it was deemed to high a price it was that foolishly trust was placed in moral self righteousness and Harmony.

Despite us already knowing by then that to place trust in Harmony was to suffer and lament.

That the thread choose to continue to have more suffering by following Harmony after Twilight makes me sad. To have Fallen so far by following Harmony and still learned nothing.
 
Shaper47 said:
It wasn't that it was deemed to high a price it was that foolishly trust was placed in moral self righteousness and Harmony.

Despite us already knowing by then that to place trust in Harmony was to suffer and lament.

That the thread choose to continue to have more suffering by following Harmony after Twilight makes me sad. To have Fallen so far by following Harmony and still learned nothing.
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Iirc, it was actually a concern that Twilight might off herself if she thought that Celestia casted her aside.
 
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