Then again, every time we passed through a gate we gained power, and this would AT LEAST make us a Long. Maybe we actually need to find the Key to the Tricuspid after this, to open it in the reverse direction? That's how you ascend to Namehood in CS, so I could see the next step being having to basically do that, except with no Hours left we actually go from Long to Hour...
So here's the thing, we already know the requirements to become Long, Name and Hour. To become a Long one must pass through the Tricuspid Gate, there is no other requirements. To become a Name one must do a great deed and then physically enter into the Mansus, this is done by opening one of the Gates of the Mansus in the reverse via the use of the Keys. To become a Hour the method, presumably, is the same as becoming a Name.
Now the thing is due to Eternity the Hours enforce a certain number of Names and Longs, there is no natural limit. They also send hunter killers after you if you aren't in their service and still active in the world. So in the current condition becoming a Long means we can ascend to Name-hood via the Keys that Marinette probably knows the locations and almost definitely holds one off.
That is all assuming there
is even a quest past getting through the Tricuspid Gate because Bird has repeatedly said Glory is the easiest ending and I don't know about you but throwing down with two of the strongest Hours or an Alukite Hour is not what I'd call easiest victory.
The fact there's a few "champions" (the alicorns) doesn't mean much. in CS you also have an equivalent, it's the Names, and would you look at that, Names and Hours are limited in numbers too. As are Longs I think.
As I said before, artificially limited.
I would like to reiterate, the Celestia option is kinda useless because Luna is coming back this turn, if we're assuming she's running on the Celestia's ire system as shown in Cadance quest then this is at most a reduction of 5 and Luna is going to be something like 40. Adding this on isn't going to help us hit any breakpoints. Also also, if this was going to cool Celestia off Birb would've mentioned that wouldn't he have?
As for Host of Guests, while it does help in Cadance's goals the text says her objective will be accomplished immediately not that it won't ever be accomplished if we don't choose it, you're trading time and narrative benefit of uncertain use for clear cut mechanical
and narrative benefits.
We've had this whole thing before. People, including me, voted to do Rarity doing Cadance's dressing which, again provided nothing beyond uncertain narrative benefits (if even those) and feel good stuff, for both certain and uncertain benefits (some of which like the Names would've been so very useful with hindsight). In my eyes choosing either Celestia or the Guests is doing the same.
We
have to work towards winning, the longer we put off the certain victory the more chances we have to fuck up, the more chances bullshit like the Master has to happen.
Also, the argument that finding out Discord is in the capital and might be beyond us for now and so we shouldn't choose that option is, in my eyes, stupid. As I've said before, if we put off finding out what the requirements for winning are and go building up before checking we may find we could've ended things ages ago. Plus, finding an Outsider is going to take a Baldomare AP, in hot demand, and she may tell us it's Discord anyways and then what?
