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

[Pittauro]

Not to mention that once they get going, they can tap the massive reserves of books and artifacts Celestia has stockpiled over the last 1000 years, to the point a level 6 book any lore is just a favor she can hand out

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Keep in mind many artifacts were stolen by the changeling if I remember right, and/or destroyed with the city maybe.

...which, on a side note, means we might find some of those lvl 5 or 6 stolen artifacts in the tall tale expedition now that I think about it...

 

[jelloloaf]

Each turn is roughly a month of time, yes? I'm trying to work out a timeline for something.

 

[DelightedOne]

Each turn is roughly a month of time, yes? I'm trying to work out a timeline for something.

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Yes, one turn is equal to one month. Good luck with your timeline.

 

[Greymere]

Keep in mind many artifacts were stolen by the changeling if I remember right, and/or destroyed with the city maybe.

...which, on a side note, means we might find some of those lvl 5 or 6 stolen artifacts in the tall tale expedition now that I think about it...

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Isn't the Tall Tale hive extremely new? As in, like, post-Catastrophe? I'd imagine that the stolen artifacts would be either in the (destroyed) main hive or in auxiliary hives that were around while Chrysalis was doing her scheming.

It could be interesting to scry for the location of the stuff that Chrysalis looted from the castle, though. Not sure how we'd justify it narratively, since we only know about it through Chrysalis's internal narration, but I suppose Velvet could make an educated guess that the changelings might have stolen resources from the vaults?

Each turn is roughly a month of time, yes? I'm trying to work out a timeline for something.

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Minus the occasional narrative weirdness, 1 turn = 1 month, yes.

 

[Pittauro]

Didn't chrysalis start to move stuff away from the castle at literally the last second after Baldomare started subverting the Velvet's moth artifact?

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Yep, sounds about right. I think Eclipse might have an advantage in progression because they only know Lantern so of course they will only use their resources to progress in Lantern but that still doesn't let us know how the mechanics of their progress works and what happens if they find more lores and end up dividing their focus.


About that, should we tell Ash to Feast? Bird said Eclipse is still at the Crossroads so they won't find the debuff weird since it will be their first time there. And it also could help in slowing them down.

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No, I'd rather not have Ash eat the ponies of our fellow agency. Also, Velvet doesn't know about Eclipse, so there's no IC reason to suddenly toggle things to murder.

Didn't chrysalis start to move stuff away from the castle at literally the last second after Baldomare started subverting the Velvet's moth artifact?

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Yes, that is the case.

 

[DelightedOne]

No, I'd rather not have Ash eat the ponies of our fellow agency. Also, Velvet doesn't know about Eclipse, so there's no IC reason to suddenly toggle things to murder.

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It is just a nibble on everypony, if you think about it Stalk is even worse since it has a chance of inflicting actual wounds/lasting debuff instead of a small and temporary debuff like Feast does.

The thing that can kill is Starve.

But you're right it wouldn't make sense for Velvet to change Ash-Guard mode... unless Celestia tells us about Eclipse's walks in the Crossroads.

 

[Greymere]

Didn't chrysalis start to move stuff away from the castle at literally the last second after Baldomare started subverting the Velvet's moth artifact?

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Yes, that is the case.

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So I went back to check Dies Irae and...

Your horn flickers to life as you bring out all the valuables you had stolen. Priceless magical artifacts you had pilfered with your "royal authority", magical scrolls that you did not even have time to read yet, and jewelry that had been produced by the perfectionist hoof of pony savants. You collect the artifacts and nothing else, they at least will be useful in the coming war you will fight.

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Chrysalis was in personal possession of any artifacts she looted, and she didn't have the chance to take them with her when she fled, considering the situation). So any vault artifacts will still be in Celestia's possession.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

It is just a nibble on everypony, if you think about it Stalk is even worse since it has a chance of inflicting actual wounds/lasting debuff instead of a small and temporary debuff like Feast does.

The thing that can kill is Starve.

But you're right it wouldn't make sense for Velvet to change Ash-Guard mode... unless Celestia tells us about Eclipse's walks in the Crossroads.

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I misremembered what Feast does. Thank you for correcting me.

 

[jelloloaf]

The Effects of Social Isolation on Grail Expression: a Comparative Analysis

Abstract
The paper analyzes two studies which explored the key differences in methodology and ideology between opposed Grail practitioners, Copper Secateur and Velvet Covers. Data were gathered by means of semi-fictionalized biographies collected by Sunuli (2024) and Bodhisattva (2021). The collected data were subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis. The results of the studies demonstrated that, despite both practitioners having been exposed to a variety of situations which cut them off from their peers and encouraged unhealthy attachment patterns, their solutions developed in significantly different directions, indicating that other aspects of relational psychology beyond the simple lack of interpersonal emotional connections contribute to personal conceptions of Grail.

Keywords: Sacrament, Hour Symbolism, Apollonian/Dionysian Divide, Enneagram Model.

1. Introduction

Grail and its connection to interpersonal relations have generated significant interest among social researchers in recent years. This is because while the Apollonian principles – Lantern, Forge, and Edge – can all be characterized through solitary, ascendant practices, the Dionysian – Heart, Grail, and Moth – are descending and encourage or even require the participation of multiple subjects. While neither Apollonian or Dionysian, Winter is especially focused on the absence of social connection, and as such is not touched upon in this paper.

As described by Kennedy et al. (2018), Grail is the principle of hunger, lust, and the drowning waters, honoring both the birth and the feast. It should be noted, however, that not all of its aspects are equally applicable to the concept of companionship and family – hunger especially is considered among scholars to be the most withdrawn aspect of Grail, except for its secondary participation in rituals such as the Crime of the Sky, which already utilize other aspects primarily. Neither of the study participants engaged significantly with the more physical aspects of Grail, preferring instead to primarily increase their perceived status amongst their social circles, further justifying the decision to focus only the drawing out and the cutting away, the umbilical strings of affection, instead of a broader image of Grail as a whole.

Taking the above into consideration, the studies reported in this paper investigated the social circles of Velvet Covers and Copper Secateur in order to determine how they connected to the aspects of Grail which the two participants chose to embody. The paper commences with a short review of relevant literature. Next, designs of the studies are described, followed by the presentation of their results. The paper closes with discussion and conclusions.

2. Literature Review

Little research has been conducted into Grail in recent years, largely as a result of the interference of various regulatory bodies. However, according to Fludd (1601), "the Great Mother remembers," a rejoinder which this paper takes as an identification of the Red Grail as the first of the Gods-from-Blood. While the Apollonian Principles are generally considered to be more deserving of serious academic inquiry, the Dionysian constitute an older and more fundamental aspect of pony nature, which can reveal important insights into both antediluvian ethnography and more modern psychological inquiries.

Fludd's seminal work, The Orchid Transfigurations (1598), served to first establish the mystic connection between birth and consumption, as well as to give an account of the formation of alukites. "This devouring is the natural course of history," he argued. "We must devour and be devoured, and we cannot be undevoured, just as we cannot be unborn. Any time before the inevitable [ascension] is nothing more than a transitional state; the formless mass still floating in the womb." However, later scholars such as Malskær (1866) rejected the idea that the Grail reveled in the birthing-bed, describing the contrast between its Enticements and its Torments. Further research of the Red Grail focused primarily on close examinations of particular enticements or torments, such as The Thirsting Tantra (Burial, 1821) and The Devoured Tantra (Schaller & Ivory, 1844). Though this paper does not share their naming scheme, its goal is similar; to closely examine a single aspect of Grail and how it fits into broader patterns of pony behavior.

3. Methodology

3.1. Research Goals

Both studies set out with the objective of fully chronicling the participants' journey through the Mansus and the Wake as they learned of the Lores, the secret principles which turn the world. However, due to time and budgetary constraints, only significant events were able to be recorded, while 'non-essential' detail was often omitted.

3.2. Participants

The two participants of the studies were Velvet Covers and Copper Secateur, both mares, ponies residing within the town of Ponyville, and members of a cult dedicated towards stopping the Worms from devouring the world. Velvet Covers was a unicorn noblemare, while Copper Secateur was an earth pony gardener. At time of writing, both had conceptualized Grail to at least the fourth degree and were capable of performing Grail rituals. Copper Secateur held a Grail sacrament.

3.3. Data Collection and Analysis

The two studies examined in this paper both followed similar formats; the data were gathered via a novelization of the life events of the participant from their own perspective, with occasional asides to show outside perspectives in a supporting role. While analyzing the accounts, researchers noted the self-reported quality of interpersonal relationships, as well as information about their quantity and length. This format was chosen intentionally to allow for greater depth of the subjects' personal philosophy and Lore insights to shine through, which more formalized methods such as structured interviews or surveys would have blocked.

In the account, each participant was encouraged to use whatever style of narration they felt most comfortable with. Velvet Covers used second-person narration, while Copper Secateur used third-person limited. In both cases, permission was acquired to publish digital recordings of the account.

4. Findings

A thorough analysis of the gathered data yielded two different categories of close relationship; friends, and family. Note that a close relationship is defined in this paper as one from which both recipients draw emotional support and validation. If a relationship was one-sided or otherwise strained, it was not counted among the gathered data.

4.1. Close Friends

Figure 1 shows the number of self-reported close friends for both Copper Secateur and Velvet Covers, over a period of 20 months following their induction into the Lores. It demonstrates that Copper's psychological dependence on external validation to maintain her positive self-esteem resulted in both higher numbers of friends and a more rapid acquisition of those friends than Velvet Covers. This paper notes that the sharp decline in Copper's number of friends near the end of the studied period correlates to a deteriorating mental condition.

Meanwhile, Velvet Covers maintained a smaller number of friends, which remained very stable compared to Copper's relationships. This reflects both how Velvet's driving motivation to acquire friends was tempered by her much larger number of close family members when compared to Copper, as can be seen in the next section, and how her fundamental desire was less able to be satisfied with large numbers of weaker relationships.

4.2. Close Family Members

Figure 2 shows the number of self-reported close family members for Copper Secateur and Velvet Covers, over a period of 20 months following their induction into the Lores. Here, the pattern has reversed, with Velvet Covers being the subject displaying continual growth in her social circle. However, due to greater social stability within her peer hierarchy, she does not demonstrate a decline in her relationships near the end of the studied period.

Copper's lack of close family relations can be connected to her differing perspective on socialization than Velvet; she believes that social connections are inherently temporary and must be taken advantage of while they last, while Velvet creates long-term relationships which she intends to maintain indefinitely.


5. Discussion and Conclusions

The picture that emerges from the analysis of the collected data indicates that the desire for a particular type of social connection which a Grail practitioner wishes to fulfill can greatly influence the manifestation of their expressed abilities. Velvet Covers' worry over being abandoned by her family led her expression to develop into a rope or leash, a binding thread that would not come loose without her express permission, allowing her to regain control over the relationship on her own terms and keep that way for as long as she wanted.

To contrast, Copper Secateur's transient view of relationships and resentment over being treated as lesser by many different ponies drove her to interpret her Grail expression through the lens of cultivation, planting seeds within other ponies and nurturing them into new emotions on a large scale, allowing her the opportunity to maintain a much larger social web at the expense of increased upkeep costs and a lesser degree of power over each individual relationship.

Delving further into the personal factors which motivated the Grail expressions of the participants, this paper turns towards the deeper mysteries as analyzed by Dusk in The Skeleton Songs (1907); the Mountain-Mother has not only fruits and chastisements, but also gardens and regrets. There are nine gardens, which this paper takes as corresponding to the nine enneatypes described by Ichazo in Protoanalytical Theory, System, and Method (1958).

From her intense desire for perfection and susceptibility towards hypocrisy and hypercriticism, it is easy to characterize Velvet Covers as type 1, disintegrating into 4 and integrating into 7. This paper connects her childhood trauma of being emotionally neglected by her parental figures in favor of her brother to her activated type 4 stress response of feeling as though she has no distinct identity or significance, as well a hyperactive imagination, both of which carry strong associations with Moth.

Likewise, when safe and content, Velvet takes on aspects of the type 7, developing far-reaching and extensively detailed plans for herself, though still occasionally falling into the trap of searching for a nonexistent 'perfect solution' which could have been reached by following a different path. Placing her onto the Wheel, this paper finds Velvet to be Lantern-primary, descending into Moth and ascending into Forge. She is torn between the Black-Flax and the Meniscate; the first embodies her love of keeping secrets and Moth connection, while the Knock of the Meniscate attempts to draw her into the Apollonian virtue of Lantern and Forge. This paper also notes the association of the Meniscate and the moon, and the close personal relationship between Velvet and Selene.

Taking a similar approach, this paper places Copper Secateur as a type 2, disintegrating into 8 and integrating into 4. Her base state is that of the provider, whose greatest fear is being considered unworthy of love on her own merits and frequently relies on social manipulation and denial of her own needs in order to fulfill her desire for emotional connection. When her connections are forcefully severed and she is obligated to rely on herself for validation, she descends into type 8, responding violently towards any perceived external control and attempting to deceive herself with the idea that she is fully self-sufficient. This disintegration often comes with a heavy focus on self-defined 'justice', which acts as a foundational personality value until emotional connections can be restored.

In the other direction, when Copper feels secure in her social circle, she integrates into the positive aspects of type 4, developing a unique identity and pursuing self-fulfillment without worrying about how others will perceive it. On the Wheel, this paper describes Copper as Grail primary, descending into Heart and ascending into Moth. From this, it follows naturally to place Copper within the domain of the Ring-Yew, whose aspects are Grail, Heart, and Moth. This also serves to characterize her close connection to Starry Dancer, as the Ring-Yew once loved the Thunderskin before its death.

From these two Hour-connections, the conflict between Velvet and Copper can be synthesized into the conflict between the Black-Flax and the Ring-Yew, and later between the House of the Moon and the House of the Sun. Near the inciting incident, both Copper and Velvet were sworn to Moth as members of a cult, each embodying aspects of their connected Hours. Velvet spoke little with other members of the cult and was widely considered to be a myth, echoing the ideas of the Black-Flax's namelessness and love of hidden secrets. Likewise, Copper enacted the Ring-Yew through the encompassing of lower-status cultists and cultivation of new growth. However, when their guiding figure vanished, only Copper remained true to her prior allegiance, Velvet instead taking the Knock-Wound as an opportunity to dedicate herself to the Meniscate and fully align herself with the return of Luna as a primary goal.

Furthermore, this paper draws a connection between the guiding principle of the cult, Moth, and each participant's relationship towards it. Velvet enacted Lantern, descending into Moth, while Copper enacted Grail, ascending into Moth. This paper notes that Velvet deserted the cult at her first opportunity – less than halfway through the studied period – while Copper remained loyal to its ideals until the end of the studied period, indicating that approaching a Lore from different directions can contribute to a vastly different interpretation and personal significance of the Lore.

This paper concludes that Grail expressions, unlike previously thought, are not standardized between different practitioners, instead being based on a wide variety of unique personality traits which vary between different ponies. However, the limited sample size of the examined studies contributed to the paper's focus on only very particular aspects of Grail, and the author encourages further study in this field once additional data have been gathered.

References:

Sunuli, J. (2024) Chthonic Paean

Bodhisattva, B. (2021) Esquestria: the House of the Sun

Kennedy, A., et al. (2018) Cultist Simulator

Fludd, R. (1598) The Orchid Transfigurations, Vol. 1: a Feast

Fludd, R. (1601) The Orchid Transfigurations, Vol. 2: a Birth

Malskær, N. F. (1813) Twenty-Six Enticements, Seven Torments

Burial, G. C. (1821) The Thirsting Tantra

Schaller, S. J. & Ivory, F. (1844) The Devoured Tantra

Dusk, A. (1907) The Skeleton Songs

Ichazo, O. (1968) Protoanalytical Theory, System, and Method

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Fun fact, this was all just an overly-elaborate way to tell you that I'm writing a recursive fic. (I am physically incapable of not committing to the bit.)

@OurLadyOfWires, if you're looking for an "In which" title, I'm quite partial to "In which we call upon the Malachite."

 

[spiderhellian]

The Effects of Social Isolation on Grail Expression: a Comparative Analysis

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Holy shit. This is a work of art. Academic art. You even have graphs!

I think this is my single favourite apocrypha.

Fun fact, this was all just an overly-elaborate way to tell you that I'm writing a recursive fic. (I am physically incapable of not committing to the bit.)

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!!!
Holy shit! I thought the piece couldn't get any better and then you end with this!

Very excited.

 

[Limabot]

While I do see a bit of an alternate timeline element by showing Velvet as having already completed her SH Sacrament, I found that a very unique, thought-through, and enlightening interpretation of the characters, and I would not be surprised if it was not at least partially canonized by Bird.

 

[Zxzx24]

Ooooh that was quite fun!

 

[AuthorTransient]

we don't KNOW it's less dangerous.

We know there's danger to both, we don't actually KNOW how much.

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Acksually, personal SH Sacrament has 'this is a dangerous action' while Baldomare's SH Sacrament doesn't

I'd rather scary for Neighnia rather than Windy I think.

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I prefer snuffing out / securing bombs before seeking out more power.

EDIT: Maybe we could send investigators to search for Lore books and write manuscripts?

An actual research paper

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Whatthefuck. In awe.

Fun fact, this was all just an overly-elaborate way to tell you that I'm writing a recursive fic. (I am physically incapable of not committing to the bit.)

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That's an... inevitable tragedy.

"In which we call upon the Malachite."

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I actually read this as 'Machine' first, but where have I heard of Malachite before?

 

[jelloloaf]

Holy shit. This is a work of art. Academic art. You even have graphs!

I think this is my single favourite apocrypha.

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Thank you very much! I'm quite proud of the graphs as well

a very unique, thought-through, and enlightening interpretation of the characters

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Thank you! I'm a big fan of Copper as a foil to Velvet, and I wanted to share some of my motivation to write a fic from her perspective in a way that would be interesting to read for its own sake, instead of just using the thread as an opportunity for self-promotion.

bit of an alternate timeline element by showing Velvet as having already completed her SH Sacrament,

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Definitely didn't forget that we haven't actually completed the sacrament yet. Fixed.

Whatthefuck. In awe.

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I'm just glad to see that learning all those academic writing skills wasn't for nothing

That's an... inevitable tragedy.

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I read a lot of essays about fiction writing of varying quality, and several of them had a quote about how dramatic tension arises when the audience knows something the characters don't. My goal is to sufficiently humanize (pony-ize?) Copper that it will feel like a proper end to her story when she dies, rather than just being the elimination of a potential threat to Velvet's victory. She's her own character, and I feel like she deserves her own identity outside of being Velvet's enemy.

I actually read this as 'Machine' first, but where have I heard of Malachite before?

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The Ring-Yew, called the Malachite, is succulent; she renews; she encompasseth.

I'll admit that my main motivation for it was the incredible theming of both Velvet and Copper having an Hour with very similar names to them.

 

[AuthorTransient]

I read a lot of essays about fiction writing of varying quality, and several of them had a quote about how dramatic tension arises when the audience knows something the characters don't. My goal is to sufficiently humanize (pony-ize?) Copper that it will feel like a proper end to her story when she dies, rather than just being the elimination of a potential threat to Velvet's victory. She's her own character, and I feel like she deserves her own identity outside of being Velvet's enemy.

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I hope Bird extends a little look behind the curtains for you. Thinking about it, for example, it would suck major ass if Copper somehow wasn't the one who sent the attack on Turn 19.

The Ring-Yew, called the Malachite, is succulent; she renews; she encompasseth.

My main motivation for it was the incredible theming of both Velvet and Copper having an Hour with very similar names to them.

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YEAH ACCIDENTAL REFERENCE GO

A lot of my writing also somehow accidentally references other items, to the point where I read through them to find links, to the point where I begin to start buying into a narrative that a lot of fiction is connected and correlated. The game Signalis references the media Ghost in the Shell which references the media Blade Runner which references the medium Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

 

[jelloloaf]

I hope Bird extends a little look behind the curtains for you. Thinking about it, for example, it would suck major ass if Copper somehow wasn't the one who sent the attack on Turn 19.

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My goal is to adhere to canon as much as possible, despite the differences that Copper's perspective will bring, but I'm willing to make small divergences for the sake of a better story.

 

[Venerable Ro]

Now that was quite fascinating, a thought-provoking piece of academic literature.

While neither Apollonian or Dionysian, Winter is especially focused on the absence of social connection, and as such is not touched upon in this paper.

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Oh I don't know about that, while not an expressly social influence, Winter's palliative effects on stress and negative emotions played a significant role in Velvet's psychology. Comparative emotional volatility was one of the (many) differences between the subjects, and Velvet's so-to-speak "self-medication" with Winter seems to be one of the primary contributors thereof.

(Also I see you've written a story, I shall have to take a look!)

 

[jelloloaf]

Oh I don't know about that, while not an expressly social influence, Winter's palliative effects on stress and negative emotions played a significant role in Velvet's psychology. Comparative emotional volatility was one of the (many) differences between the subjects, and Velvet's so-to-speak "self-medication" with Winter seems to be one of the primary contributors thereof.

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An interesting perspective, but the exact mechanics of how the greater emotional stability of Velvet Covers versus Copper Secateur arose are not the main focus of this paper. The author feels that this subject was already addressed to a sufficient degree within the analysis provided, though they will not decline additions to the existing body of work.

 

[Venerable Ro]

An interesting perspective, but the exact mechanics of how the greater emotional stability of Velvet Covers versus Copper Secateur arose are not the main focus of this paper. The author feels that this subject was already addressed to a sufficient degree within the analysis provided, though they will not decline additions to the existing body of work.

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Of course, a paper that attempts to account for every possible influence on a subject will end up having much in common with the proverbial cat in a room full of rats. Succinctness is surely an academic virtue.

This paper concludes that Grail revelations, unlike previously thought, are not standardized between different practitioners, instead being based on a wide variety of unique personality traits which vary between different ponies. However, the limited sample size of the examined studies contributed to the paper's focus on only very particular aspects of Grail, and the author encourages further study in this field once additional data have been gathered.

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So far our only other potential datapoints (that I presently recall) would be Miss Rarity Belle, and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Though both of these have certain issues in that the Princess's Grail expression is as-of-yet purely hypothetical and Miss Rarity's was significantly directed by her mentor. I suppose there's ample ground to be covered in observing the social, ethical, and psychological variations between self-taught Lore realizations and those that benefitted from outside mentorship.

One must wonder how much of Grail's unsavory reputation in particular is endemic to its nature, and how much is simply cyclically reinforced by practitioners experiencing and then imposing particular behavior patterns. Personally I find this thought particularly compelling in light of the deeply contextual and conceptual nature of the Lores as a whole.

 

[jelloloaf]

One must wonder how much of Grail's unsavory reputation in particular is endemic to its nature, and how much is simply cyclically reinforced by practitioners experiencing and then imposing particular behavior patterns. Personally I find this thought particularly compelling in light of the deeply contextual and conceptual nature of the Lores as a whole.

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The author believes that the two analyzed studies provide a largely unique situation; both Copper Secateur and Velvet Covers were largely self-taught, as they led the wave as some of the first ponies to rediscover the Lores after a long period of their absence in society. Ultimately, the work of other scholars presents an engaging possibility, and gives an excellent opportunity for further research.

(You're very good at academic phrasing )

 

[Venerable Ro]

The author believes that the two analyzed studies provide a largely unique situation; both Copper Secateur and Velvet Covers were largely self-taught, as they led the wave as some of the first ponies to rediscover the Lores after a long period of their absence in society. Ultimately, the work of other scholars presents an engaging possibility, and gives an excellent opportunity for further research.

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The commentor concurs with this supposition and likewise hopes to see further historical bibliographies published in the fullness of time.

(You're very good at academic phrasing )

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Why thank you, I like to think I read and write fluent boilerplate, of which academia is a particularly noteworthy dialect. Technically inoffensive policy-based adhortations are my primary language though so I fear my writing is somewhat accented.

 

[jason1stlegion]

It's been present constantly through the quest but I think this is the first time I have actually thought about how in universe Velvet constantly at least once a month starts of her thoughts with ''You are Velvet Covers'' it's pretty funny.

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Plot twist, Velvet is The Velvet and has to remind herself monthly of the mask she wears in order to stay a pony.

Now to actually read through the thread discussions…

 

[Pittauro]

Acksually, personal SH Sacrament has 'this is a dangerous action' while Baldomare's SH Sacrament doesn't

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it came up before. It was added because the action would otherwise feel relatively safe. After all it's just watching at other timelines, isn't it?

Or at least that's all we knew before taking it the first time.

We don't KNOW if it's MORE or LESS dangerous than other actions. Just that it IS dangerous.

It COULD be more dangerous, to be clear, we just don't know for sure.

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oh, an interesting paper AND a recursive fanfic! I'll have to read both in a bit.

...this reminds me I STILL haven't checked out that Worms/CS quest... hopefully I find the time for it in a few hours...

 

[jason1stlegion]

[X] Plan: Servant, Mareinette, Bureau

Bits aren't really as important for us next turn, and the Bureau action opens the door to:
- Recruiting the Bureau in our search for the Outsider
- Fixing our HP pool and Shining's and Twilight's horns (RotF)
- Laundering our Lore (we won't win in as few turns as we need to avoid Celestia's doom counter, so we have to not-lose for a bit)

As for Mareinette, curiosity is our temptation, and I really want to know what she manages to get for us. It's probably more useful than Bits anyway.

I see some people concerned that we're relying on her too much, but honestly I don't think Bird will change the mechanics under us like that.
However much we rely on her, she's generously going to provide, asking only a small favor every 3 turns in return.

 

[Steady Gaze]

But more importantly, she tells you that the cult is scrambling right now. Tensions have been high for several weeks, following some "burning" incident that you didn't quite understand, given the strange words Mareinette used. And not long ago, right after their attack against your mother failed, Copper herself basically ordered the cult to go to ground. And for several days now they have been packing, moving, and erasing every trace of their existence that they can, in their efforts to vanish into the shadows.

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Going back… I didn't see anyone point this out, so what could this "burning" incident be? Was it our Path Through Nightmares or some fallout from it? (Maybe a bit unfortunate that we won't get to see Copper's perspective on the nightmare when Luna's was so cool.) Also, since Velvet is awake now and has interacted with Mareinette, do we now understand what Mareinette might've been talking about?

 

[Cochimetl]

Going back… I didn't see anyone point this out, so what could this "burning" incident be?

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Think about it. Was there some big landmark the Cult would know about that burned down recently? Leaving behind a giant ashen wasteland?

 

[Greymere]

Going back… I didn't see anyone point this out, so what could this "burning" incident be? Was it our Path Through Nightmares or some fallout from it? (Maybe a bit unfortunate that we won't get to see Copper's perspective on the nightmare when Luna's was so cool.) Also, since Velvet is awake now and has interacted with Mareinette, do we now understand what Mareinette might've been talking about?

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It was probably the Woods' destruction.

 

[des-pair-2]

Going back… I didn't see anyone point this out, so what could this "burning" incident be? Was it our Path Through Nightmares or some fallout from it? (Maybe a bit unfortunate that we won't get to see Copper's perspective on the nightmare when Luna's was so cool.) Also, since Velvet is awake now and has interacted with Mareinette, do we now understand what Mareinette might've been talking about?

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Who's the good boy?

 

[Arrkhon]

Think about it. Was there some big landmark the Cult would know about that burned down recently? Leaving behind a giant ashen wasteland?

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...the clubhouse?