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

Reader mode
Sveta08 said:
But there is unknown opportunity cost there.
I would ask you reconsider.
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There is also a very known cost to the Bureau expedition failing - namely, no book for Baldomare, and so no Name Friendship. Which also means no Lantern and SH Sacraments next turn, if Cadance does succeed, and no Baldomare if we're forced into All In because she failed. Or even if she succeeds; we're still on the Lantern time limit even if the Daybreaker bomb is successfully defused (unless perhaps our Moth Sacrament does something to extend it beyond just being Moth 5), and after the Cadance roll there's still going to be the Luna roll.

Like, I get the appeal of the mystery box. But the book expedition isn't just "a nice goodie to have", it's "a really important thing to complete if we want to get through All In".
 
[X] (VELVET) You will personally join the Bureau in the expedition
[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.
 
Greymere said:
There is also a very known cost to the Bureau expedition failing - namely, no book for Baldomare, and so no Name Friendship. Which also means no Lantern and SH Sacraments next turn, if Cadance does succeed, and no Baldomare if we're forced into All In because she failed. Or even if she succeeds; we're still on the Lantern time limit even if the Daybreaker bomb is successfully defused (unless perhaps our Moth Sacrament does something to extend it beyond just being Moth 5), and after the Cadance roll there's still going to be the Luna roll.

Like, I get the appeal of the mystery box. But the book expedition isn't just "a nice goodie to have", it's "a really important thing to complete if we want to get through All In".
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Your point made, I...
Agree in assessment, disagree in end action.

I do not see it so much as a Mystery Box of Goodies, but as an expression of intent. I cannot and will not disagree on the value of the Book, and thus the Expedition. But still it...
It tickles the back of my brain wrong. Both not being there, and following Axe this turn. Taking both Grail and Moth Sacraments, taking one from Mareinette... The fact that Axe is so effective at expeditions but we are not just sending a "Loyal Mechanical Son" but following her alongside to guarantee it's success... The narrative of that move, and of leaving Cadence to handle Celestia strikes me.

I cannot and will not refute the use. I think it's a good idea.
But I cannot and will not be moved either. Apologies.


Oh, and as I had forgotten to put it before.

[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.
 
Sveta08 said:
Oh, and as I had forgotten to put it before.
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I just checked. You need to include your entire vote in the latest post that contains a vote. Otherwise, your previous votes won't count. Right now, the tally is ignoring your vote for Velvet.

(Unless there's a setting in the tally that I missed. In that case, please ignore me!)
 
Sveta08 said:
I do not see it so much as a Mystery Box of Goodies, but as an expression of intent. I cannot and will not disagree on the value of the Book, and thus the Expedition. But still it...
It tickles the back of my brain wrong. Both not being there, and following Axe this turn. Taking both Grail and Moth Sacraments, taking one from Mareinette... The fact that Axe is so effective at expeditions but we are not just sending a "Loyal Mechanical Son" but following her alongside to guarantee it's success... The narrative of that move, and of leaving Cadence to handle Celestia strikes me.
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That is actually a good argument!

Better than mine being "Grail senses point to goodies".
 
[X] (VELVET) You will NOT join the Bureau in the expedition.
[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.
Personally I would really prefer to be nearby in case Celestia decides to change her name, it would be extremely inconvenient if she decides to call us and we are off exploring some ancient ruins she may not bother waiting until we come back and just teleport us to her
 
[X] (VELVET) You will personally join the Bureau in the expedition
[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.

I am not risking Baldomare's friendship success here. It's too critical.
 
Arrkhon said:
Personally I would really prefer to be nearby in case Celestia decides to change her name, it would be extremely inconvenient if she decides to call us and we are off exploring some ancient ruins she may not bother waiting until we come back and just teleport us to her
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She is more likely to teleport(or fly as a blaze in the sky) to us, probably destructively, maybe even enough to destroy the book if we are unlucky enough. Or in a even worse future it is a Lantern book, she notices it and takes it from us.


But yeah, not being able to react would suck with Daybreaker. If she gets more involved and notices Bureau lore progress or decides to take over the Bureau and fire us. Celestia gave us and the other headponies power because she didn't trust herself to lead, Daybreaker won't have that issue.


Hell even the Wolf may not be able to give us Ainé if we are not there in time. I'm not even caring if he gives us the option to kill Daybreaker anymore, I worry we won't be able to save Ainé if we are not there right when it happens, then it is bye bye to post-Glory Harmony.

There is also the chance we lose our Above All Suspicion because Daybreaker is too unstable to trust anyone for real or that we might lose Cadence because Daybreaker doesn't want to share the spotlight with anyone that isn't Luna.

Talon Tiger Dino said:
[X] (VELVET) You will personally join the Bureau in the expedition
[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.

I am not risking Baldomare's friendship success here. It's too critical.
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Why did you repost your vote if nothing changed since the last time you posted it?
 
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DelightedOne said:
Why did you repost your vote if nothing changed since the last time you posted it?
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Because I am ill and did not remember voting.

Wait, do we still have an unread Level 5 Book for Baldomare if the expedition takes more than one turn?

UPDATE: I looked it up, and we do! This leads to my next question. @OurLadyOfWires , the Velvet does not join the expedition option says that she will still lend "some assistance" through sending information and such, could you elaborate on the mechanical effects of such long-distance aid?
 
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DelightedOne said:
Hell even the Wolf may not be able to give us Ainé if we are not there in time. I'm not even caring if he gives us the option to kill Daybreaker anymore, I worry we won't be able to save Ainé if we are not there right when it happens, then it is bye bye to post-Glory Harmony.
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I just want to point out that the Daybreaker result wasn't the one that would have produced Aine. The Intercalate, and Aine (as "all that remained"), was the result if she rolled a 0.

Daybreaker, at the end of the day, is still Celestia, in the same way Nightmare Moon was still Luna. Not a division. If a Wolf decision results in Aine, I strongly suspect that would be because we'd end up forcing Celestia into State 0 (i.e. dead and/or something apparently analogous to a Wolf Name), which would be even worse for the general state of Equestria than "just" the tyranny of eternal day.

Talon Tiger Dino said:
Because I am ill and did not remember voting.

Wait, do we still have an unread Level 5 Book for Baldomare if the expedition takes more than one turn?
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Yeah, we still have the Knock 5 book.
 
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I'm a bit confused about what people expect us to do in reaction to Daybreaker. Our post-daybreaker plan is pretty clear: get the people we love to short-term safety, and hurry to All-In. What reaction could we have to Daybreaker that enables that BETTER than befriending Baldomare so she will join us on All-In?
 
Vote still open, just a general notice that it should close later today or tomorrow. Seems to be pretty well decided by now.

Adhoc vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Apr 18, 2026 at 7:53 PM, finished with 74 posts and 25 votes.
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Will catch up to thread and write later. Hope you are all doing well!
 
A Prognosis of Hyperthermia

The last two weeks have been eerie for a few reasons.

First, the unseasonable heat in Canterlot, which has you sweating despite your office's locations deep in the recesses of Canterlot mountain. A heat that doesn't ebb at night, and if anything seems to strengthen. No one has died yet, thanks to a few memos you sent instructing the City Guard to check in on elderly ponies and ensure they were getting enough ice-water to stay cool. But it is hot, much too hot, and while that is unpleasant for everyone, you have a better sense of what it means.

Second, there were your dinners with Cadance, where she pointedly did not talk about what she had spent the day doing. You had insisted on these, and ensured she couldn't wall you out. You tried to bring her some light, or some levity, or even just the strength to go on another day. You weren't sure you were all that successful. And all you could think about was the time you spent with her before the wedding -- not all that long ago -- and how these dinners felt absolutely nothing like it.

But most of all, your week has felt eerie because it has felt normal. At a time where nothing is normal, and all of Equestria feels like a dropped glass, mid-fall, about to shatter. You have sent letters to Axe and Cherenkolt, advising them with a few obstacles they encountered (and ensuring your lieutenants worked with them smoothly). You spent a few long days studying the Changeling corpse, during which you could almost -- almost -- forget the problems of the outside world as you picked its mysteries apart. And you studied the reports of snowfall and other strange goings-on assembled by your detectives, bringing an appreciation of what the cold meant even as a part of you craved it amidst the dreadful heat.

That is precisely what you are doing today. The windows are open to try to assuage some of the heat with a breeze, and the shadows will soon start lengthening as the sun makes its forced, stuttering, way down the sky.

Though they're not, are they?

It is past noon, and the sun is still at its apex.

It is past noon. And the sun. Is still. At its Apex.

And it is only growing hotter.

You let out a deep, shuddering, breath. Then you steel your nerves, and run.


You can't approach the castle's actual building, not without your mane starting to smoulder and smoke. Thankfully, you don't need to. Instead, your hooves lead you unerringly to where your ally, your Princess, your best friend is.

You find Cadance in a small pond, on the outskirts of the castle's gardens. You can tell the water is helping: cooling her down, putting out embers, hiding her tears. You can tell it's not enough.

You stop by the edge of the pond, and pause. You want to say something. You want to do something. But the fact that Cadance is here -- and the sun is at its apex, and it is still just growing hotter -- means she's out of options.

And out of hope.

You look at your friend. You glance, briefly, to the sky. It's the beginning of the end.

All you can do, or say, is this:

[] Caddy, I can help. Let's give it one more shot, together. (Velvet and Cadance will roll again, together. If you get very lucky, this may defuse Daybreaker's wrath. If you get somewhat lucky, this may delay Daybreaker's eruption until next turn, at which point you may try again to defuse it. But if you fail, you will be in Daybreaker's sights.)
[] Caddy, there's something else we can try. But you'll have to trust me. (Velvet and Cadance will flee Canterlot and leave it to Daybreaker. If you go All In at the end of this turn, Cadance will accompany you on the expedition. This may have other side-effects, both positive and negative.)
[] Caddy, it's too late. We just need to save what we can. (Velvet and Cadance will do their best to ameliorate Daybreaker's wrath. Hyperthermia mechanics will be at HALF effect for THIS turn and NEXT turn.)

Wise Wolf said:
I'm a bit confused about what people expect us to do in reaction to Daybreaker. Our post-daybreaker plan is pretty clear: get the people we love to short-term safety, and hurry to All-In. What reaction could we have to Daybreaker that enables that BETTER than befriending Baldomare so she will join us on All-In?
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Well, you asked. Cadance on All In would qualify, I think.

It's been lovely to have this quest back, and to return to that feeling of "There's something I want to express and the best way to do it is by writing it."

I'm not changing my vote. But I think our agency does matter, and we are giving up quite a bit by going on the expedition.

I am excited to see how this turn goes.
 
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spiderhellian said:
[] Caddy, I can help. Let's give it one more shot, together. (Velvet and Cadance will roll again, together. If you get very lucky, this may defuse Daybreaker's wrath. If you get somewhat lucky, this may delay Daybreaker's eruption until next turn, at which point you may try again to defuse it. But if you fail, you will be in Daybreaker's sights.)
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I just realized I have been writing the aftermath of this option. Funny how these things work, huh?
 
Wise Wolf said:
I'm a bit confused about what people expect us to do in reaction to Daybreaker
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Look cool af as we get obliterated?

Realistically, noting.
Don't think we could provide any pushback against the very thing that is hurrying the story along.

I admitted to staying in Canterlot being the suboptimal option for meta gaming reasons, not narrative ones.
You know, once more making a distinction between 'we ,the players' and 'we, Velvet'.

My question to you though, why do you think there is a logical reason?
It's mainly paranoia I'd imagen, that tends to be the leading force behind most contentious votes here.
Sure, there's nothing stating that the scenarios/knock-on effects we've dreamed up will come to pass, but what if?

We've had votes go exactly as the options read before only for the next to knock us of the ledge were trotting on without any warning. Because we're not working with all the information even though we desperately want to think that we do.
 
Sorry for the silence, got temporarily locked out because I forgot my password and then AFTER I reset I remembered what my password was. Not my shining moment.

Welcome back, Bird!


Honestly, if we're going to commit, I say commit all the way.

[X] (VELVET) You will personally join the Bureau in the expedition
[X] (CHERENKOLT) Cherenkolt will personally join the expedition.
 
OurLadyOfWires said:
"So, I would like to introduce you all to Midnight Wind. Miss Wind is a pony with whom I have been working for some time, even before I joined the Lunar Bureau. She has my complete trust, and I have recently managed to convince her to join us, if only as a temporary consultant."

You feel the fur on your coat rise as she says that.

Because of course, this is the reason why She is doing this. This is the reason why the Princess is not using her guise as the Commissioner, but is instead letting herself be "presented" to the Bureau.

She has finally decided to work alongside you. Even if she still wishes to keep her identity a secret.

And the thought of working not under a Princess, but with a Princess, is more than enough to make your breath get stuck inside your chest.
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You know, it'll be really funny if our Moth Sacrament we're about to undergo lets us attend the expedition under the mask of Midnight Wind.
 
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