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

[Limabot]

SNIP

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This was a very interesting Omake to read, and I like the dynamic between Baldomare and Mareinette here. Also, this seems to be roughly in line with what I expected the moral consequences to be, where Velvet would devolve into seeing Ponies outside her family as objects and pawns rather than real people or friends.

 

[LieutenantSpirit]

We didn't Leash Filthy Rich and we didn't replace the original Twilight. Velvet still has a hint of morality left. It's not much, but at least it's there.

 

[Greymere]

I'm admittedly not too hot about giving Cadance Moth artifacts. I know that I was the one who said that maybe giving her one could hide her lores from Celly dearest. But teaching Cadance the Lores needs its own effort, and this is just too much of a sun-hot topic for me to want to delve into right now. Especially given how we are still in the middle of a turn, with other things going on.

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If we did something similar (e.g. scry and obtain a Moth 6/7 artifact to hide our Lores), that would still work for us though, right?

 

[Witherbrine2671]

We have a tally system now! That's neat.

Unfortunately said tally is still showing 29 to 27 in favor of not bringing mirror Twilight back.

Oh well, voters gonna vote. I'm just happy we got this little snippet, it was very interesting.

 

[IronHydra]

Trying not to mald. I know I said earlier either option would've been fine in the end, but I did want that vote to win.

I'm gonna- gonna- grrrraaa!!!
This should've been the next chapter and not an Omake.

Lemme just go stew in a corner for a bit longer, the wound was re-opened.

 

[Arrkhon]

I didn't see Mareinette approving of us swapping Twilight's out but now that I think about it it makes perfect sense

 

[Random Anon]

So, soft confirmation that Velvet would have become a "worse" person if the Twi Switch happened? Neat.

Ngl, not the Secret Histories what-if Omake I expected. Maybe seeing human-to-pony Twilight would be too much?

 

[Solace2117]

Eh, it was fun to read and I'm curious what Mareinette would have given her, but makes me glad voting not to bring her won. Outside of the comments about Velvet's mindset, which is one of the main reasons I voted against it, the talk about Velvet being obsessed and having to keep up the masquerade just sounds like a giant action sink when we already have so much to focus on.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Eh, it was fun to read and I'm curious what Mareinette would have given her, but makes me glad voting not to bring her won. Outside of the comments about Velvet's mindset, which is one of the main reasons I voted against it, the talk about Velvet being obsessed and having to keep up the masquerade just sounds like a giant action sink when we already have so much to focus on.

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On that matter.

It wouldn't have required you to take any specific actions. And this omake, if true, wouldn't really have caused any mechanical changes per se. Well, Mareinette would have given you something, but that would have been a net positive so I don't really count it as something that would weight you down.

And this whole talk about masquerades and obsessions is probably Baldomare being allegorical, or speaking in riddles. She does that from time to time.

But what would have happened is exactly what I told you guys during the voting period.

Bringing Twilight, or refusing to do so, would educate me on what Velvet is or isn't willing to do. The rest would just be the dominos falling on their proper places, according to what you guys wanted.

Anyways, let me go write about snakes.

 

[Shaper47]

Bringing Twilight, or refusing to do so, would educate me on what Velvet is or isn't willing to do.

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So Velvet's finally able to cut her lossess on this sunk cost fallacy.

I just hope the thread can do the same.

 

[DelightedOne]

So Velvet's finally able to cut her lossess on this sunk cost fallacy.

I just hope the thread can do the same.

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I think we have learned our lesson. We shall not try to help Twilight... directly.

Doing things like showing Cadance Forge's Redemption is still on the table.

 

[Zxzx24]

I voted for our Twilight because she still needs help. Maybe ours. Maybe Cadences.

 

[dcoconeo]

Oh, no. I wish that was the case, but it is much worse than that

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"[MOTH]?"

"No, no, it's not that either. Our summoner and the guest are separate ponies

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Baldomare saying this in Lantern voice...
Probably also hinting at what the Moth Sacrament tilts us down the path of?

Edit:

Because just like the hosts and hostesses of our time, our summoner is not without her own habits and likings.

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the one that will be whisked away by the snake in a few hours

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And yeah, I am definitely satisfied with our decisions: "Eccentricities" are less so with the weight of absolute power behind them?

And that crack would only widen and grow, if left unattended, until it snapped her mask in half.

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And hm... good that we aren't leaving her unattended, depending on the contextual definition of the word in this sentence?

 

[Pittauro]

… that good Baldomare is actually a very bad conversation partner.

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...really?

"Why I'm saying this? Wait, you haven't heard? Or perhaps it hasn't happened yet? What day is it… ah, but of course. Yes, yes, my apologies. I just happened to look ahead a little bit. You see, our summoner is coming back tonight, finally, and she will bring somepony back with her. A new guest, I suppose, to fill this house with."

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ah, it's the lack of a common reference point?

Of course, good Baldomare is not without her fair share of fans and admirers. And those ponies will quickly jump to deny such slanderous claims.

However, the fact remains that, well, everypony agrees Baldomare knows everything.

And that makes her a great storyteller, for sure. A great storyteller, a wonderful advisor, and a very mischievous fortune teller for those who dare ask.

Still, wouldn't that make her a terrible conversation partner? After all, how can you have a proper conversation with somepony who already knows everything? Wouldn't that make it a lecture? A monologue? Or perhaps an exercise in futility?

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ah, that makes more sense.

"[FORGE]?"

"No, no, not that kind of guest. But you are right, in a sense. Or maybe you are coming from the right place? Well, it doesn't matter. Although I agree with you. Because maybe I shouldn't call that newcomer a guest…?"

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was she guessing the forge name? She's right "in a sense" because we're sort of "destroying/changing" the old twilight to get a new one?

There is old Biedde, who has on occasion had lengthy conversations with her about… well, about fantasy books that they both read, apparently. But that they appeared to be discussing as vigorously as if it was actual history.

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of course it's very much likely those were history books of a special kind...

Firefly Breeze, a relatively young and innocent maid, is spoken of as one of the few ponies who can make Baldomare change her mind after she made a decision

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PLEASE TELL US YOUR SECRETS!

"[MOTH]?"

"No, no, it's not that either. Our summoner and the guest are separate ponies. But as I was saying, I shouldn't call her a new guest. I should call her an… acquisition."

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...what, was she guessing we "changed" ourselves and our old self became sort of a separate being?

Or is that a reference to the Master's potential possession?

Fair Mareinette who, in her great charity, convinced the Lady to let some of the farmhoofs keep their jobs even after they lost a hoof or a leg. Who took them in, even, as their favored and "dedicated" servants.

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...

@OurLadyOfWires tell me she's NOT the cause of those missing hooves and legs!

Because we wouldn't be able to do much if the first words out of our mouth always had to be be not afraid, no?"

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fair enough.

"Exactly! After all, despite their disagreements, Lantern and Moth are still neighbors. And it is so easy to go from one to the other and… No, that's not right. It's easy to fall from Moth to Lantern. But there is no easy way back, once you do it."

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so... it's easy to fall from ignorance to knowledge, but it's not easy to forget what you've learned?

"It seems that our summoner realized that her life, or maybe everything, is a masquerade. It seems she finally realized that everything we do, from our habits to our thoughts to our very lives, are masks that we wear. That the very world, even, is nothing but the continuance of these conventions and habits and words that we jointly agree carry a particular meaning. And tonight, when she bring her new guest… when she brings back her latest acquisition, she will have taken an important step in accepting her place in all of this."

"[GRAIL]?"

"Oh, no. I wish that was the case, but it is much worse than that. Because she thinks of herself as a... the Hostess. And after tonight, after this latest decision of hers, our summoner will become obsessed with it. With keeping this masquerade running, with keeping this delightful party on rhythm with her music. With keeping the ignorant in ignorance, and the performers dancing. Of course, that is all well and good, and I think she will be a good host. After all, it was the hosts and hostesses of old that kept us all from killing each other back then, no? Somepony needs to keep the wheels spinning. And more importantly, somepony needs to keep everypony else from noticing there are wheels to begin with. Quite fitting, then, that she has the word covers on her name."

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mh... implication seems to me that, once she took the "mirror" twilight here, she'd reasonably be obsessed to make sure NOBODY WOULD EVER FIND OUT what she did.

to keep the masquerade that this is the real Twilight.

To be fair it would be surprisingly easy. there's exactly THREE ponies still alive that know Twilight enough to notice the differences, beside Velvet.

Shining Armor, Cadance, and Celestia. and some of the differences could just be explained as the result of trauma.

"I think you would approve of her, yes. I think this will be to your liking, in the end. Because just like the hosts and hostesses of our time, our summoner is not without her own habits and likings. In fact, I think you will come to the same conclusion when you see her. Our summoner does not care for her latest acquisition. At least, she doesn't care for her with the same fixation she does her family, and she will treat her like any other of her pawns. And yet, she made this decision all the same."

"…"

"Because this isn't about her latest acquisition. This isn't about the student herself. Oh no. This is about what she represented. Because the reflection of her acquisition, the one that will be whisked away by the snake in a few hours, was a failure. Worse than that, she was evidence of her failure. Living proof that our summoner couldn't protect somepony she took under her wings. She was… a crack on our summoner's mask. And that crack would only widen and grow, if left unattended, until it snapped her mask in half. And that simply wouldn't do for the Hostess of this masquerade, no? So… she did what every good hostess would do. She did what was necessary to continue the masquerade."

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OH!

So, according to Baldomare (and Baldomare is nearly always right...), the motivation for taking Twilight would be mainly to hide a failure and remove a crack in our "perfect" record. A potential threat to our role.

In a way, taking Twilight is cement the fact that we'll NEVER reveal some of our secrets. That we'll make the lie our new truth.

Mareinette is delighted by your recent decision, she has decided to reward you with [REDACTED]

Well, there is no reason to delve too deep into what could have happened, or what you might have gained. After all, this is just a Was Not now. Right?

Right?

Move along now, dear. Back to where you came from.

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I suppose Mareinette would have appreciated our self-indulgence, basically? I didn't consider that at all.

Also, unironic question, since WHEN does this site have a "open voting" option and a "new tally" button??? Did they import the SV tally system and didn't tell anyone??? I am genuinelly surprised, and this is a legitimate question that I just noticed.

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WHAT?!


...uh.

That was NOT there until a few days before!

nice

 

[Sveta08]

I didn't see Mareinette approving of us swapping Twilight's out but now that I think about it it makes perfect sense

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Swapping them is a Thing of Want

Our Lady Mareinette is very familiar with these things.

Bringing Twilight, or refusing to do so, would educate me on what Velvet is or isn't willing to do. The rest would just be the dominos falling on their proper places, according to what you guys wanted.

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This, is why I am usually so... verbose? Difficult. Why it's complicated when I'm arguing for something or against it.

Because the exact action, sure, that's important. But so are the implications of Velvet. The way things fall out. The thing that action represents is being willing to be done. Because sure, every action is talking just about that action. But it's not. It's... everything in context.
It's well done. It just makes me want to have a hat so I can say "It makes me want to eat my hat"

 

[Venerable Ro]

This, is why I am usually so... verbose? Difficult. Why it's complicated when I'm arguing for something or against it.

Because the exact action, sure, that's important. But so are the implications of Velvet. The way things fall out. The thing that action represents is being willing to be done. Because sure, every action is talking just about that action. But it's not. It's... everything in context.
It's well done. It just makes me want to have a hat so I can say "It makes me want to eat my hat"

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Why is just as important as what, even more important in some senses. Especially in this language, this synonym-riddled context-tonal hash of colloquialisms and memetic references. Most languages don't do things like "Well bless your soul!" (that's not a compliment, unless it is, it's wholly determined by context).

It's also, for the record, why I'd really love to get the Steppes FO, to firmly reinforce the idea that family matters to us.

 

[Alan975]

Not liking this at all

Not to mope too much and it's not as big a deal now as it would have been at the beginning of the quest, but trying to convince people here is inherently self defeating.

Because if you have to focus on and counter the points that they bring up (Like trying to help Twilight) then that becomes the main influence on Velvets mind.

I just hope the thread can do the same.

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Buddy, thats not going to happen.

 

[spiderhellian]

Not to mope too much and it's not as big a deal now as it would have been at the beginning of the quest, but trying to convince people here is inherently self defeating.

Because if you have to focus on and counter the points that they bring up (Like trying to help Twilight) then that becomes the main influence on Velvets mind.

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I'd be way more charitable with this. To Bird and to your fellow readers. Convincing people can work, it has in the past, and Velvet is conflicted at the best of times.

 

[Zxzx24]

Not liking this at all

Not to mope too much and it's not as big a deal now as it would have been at the beginning of the quest, but trying to convince people here is inherently self defeating.

Because if you have to focus on and counter the points that they bring up (Like trying to help Twilight) then that becomes the main influence on Velvets mind.



Buddy, thats not going to happen.

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We've all been there

Talking to people helps.

 

[Cochimetl]

The snippet was great, but it makes me doubly glad the vote went as it went. Unlike the Midnight Train, there was nothing in there that made me feel regret, and a lot that made me feel relief.

I like Velvet trying to be moral. It wouldn't have been out of character for her to fail here in that regard, but it would still have been a failure.

 

[Solace2117]

Not liking this at all

Not to mope too much and it's not as big a deal now as it would have been at the beginning of the quest, but trying to convince people here is inherently self defeating.

Because if you have to focus on and counter the points that they bring up (Like trying to help Twilight) then that becomes the main influence on Velvets mind.

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The last vote was close and I get being upset your choice didn't win. We've all been there. I do think you overestimate the amount of influence we have on Velvet's overall thoughts. Ourladyofwires takes our words into account and how we vote influences her perspective over the long term to an extent, but she's still her own character with established strengths and faults built up over a massive amount of text.
Her perspective doesn't drastically shift with every argument we make, that would be a completely different type of quest and probably wouldn't work well with how this one has been run.
Vote and debate how you want. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose. Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong, If just arguing for or against something invalidated a point I don't think this would be a very good quest.

 

[ses]

So apparently the old site had canon omakes that were part of the main threadmarks? I'm very lost and confused and would appreciate links to any threadmarks I would have missed reading on QQ

 

[Kai Merah]

Fair Mareinette who, in her great charity, convinced the Lady to let some of the farmhoofs keep their jobs even after they lost a hoof or a leg. Who took them in, even, as their favored and "dedicated" servants.

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Uhh... Has Marinette been snacking on our servants? I hope if she is, Velvet is aware. And can put a stop to it.

 

[Alan975]

So apparently the old site had canon omakes that were part of the main threadmarks? I'm very lost and confused and would appreciate links to any threadmarks I would have missed reading on QQ

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This, I believe

"The old address? Well, that is something I can give you. There are still plenty of great books there, but be careful not to anger any of the ghosts!"

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Everything tagged with Apocrypha and Media

 

[ses]

This, I believe



Everything tagged with Apocrypha and Media

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No, not the omakes, I already read those. I mean the ones that got added into the canon threadmarks. There were apparently a handful of them.

 

[Sveta08]

Uhh... Has Marinette been snacking on our servants? I hope if she is, Velvet is aware. And can put a stop to it.

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Oh goodness, is that the presumption?

I... hmm. Give me a moment. Just remembered something, and you may have merit to this idea... I think it was.....
Ah! Here.

And most of all, it told her that the monster was right here. Looking at her from the darkness. Lounging on a makeshift bed of cushions and pillows, who she knew had been eagerly gifted by the parents of their previous owners. Licking… no, scraping at something that a very short time ago belonged to -had been part of- a living creature, with her dry and sharp teeth.

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Ponpon mentioned to you, in passing, that the estate's sommelier has been looking a lot younger these last few days. Soft Sweeps told you, in a nervous tone, that she had seen a few farmhoofs sneaking into the annex building late in the afternoon, even though they had no business being there.

And of course, you know the reason why all of that has been happening. The same way you also realize that a lot more things, things that don't reach your ears, have been happening. Things that the ponies involved would never dare to speak of. Things that would explain why, just now, you are sure that you just smelled a whiff of blood.

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Most of them have learned to push those feelings away, and can even talk to her normally, on the rare occasions that she stops and speaks to one pony or another.

Some of them needed… encouragement. Like the pony who is currently using his shovel to dig a grave, who nowadays wear an eyepatch over one of his empty eye sockets because… well, because he needed help so he could see things better.

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These three, picked from the history, are the most likely of options. I couldn't for the life of you tell you which is which though.

On one hand it might be things willingly given. It might be prices happily paid for a gift. Or it might be other... more Wolf tinted things. But given the way it is phrased, I'm starting to be inclinded to the first option.



Now, at first, I wanted to it simply couldn't be that. Must be the Wolf touch of the town that's been a problem. Velvet would hear about it! She may have concerns and issues with that and would cause trouble!
But...

I had to stop. To think. And to remember how Velvet would know. Not in a Lore ways, but in a more... social ways.
Who she'd talk to. And then it made me realize.

Hey.
When was the last time Velvet actually spoke with Ponpon?

 

[Limabot]

Oh goodness, is that the presumption?

I... hmm. Give me a moment. Just remembered something, and you may have merit to this idea... I think it was.....
Ah! Here.






These three, picked from the history, are the most likely of options. I couldn't for the life of you tell you which is which though.

On one hand it might be things willingly given. It might be prices happily paid for a gift. Or it might be other... more Wolf tinted things. But given the way it is phrased, I'm starting to be inclinded to the first option.



Now, at first, I wanted to it simply couldn't be that. Must be the Wolf touch of the town that's been a problem. Velvet would hear about it! She may have concerns and issues with that and would cause trouble!
But...

I had to stop. To think. And to remember how Velvet would know. Not in a Lore ways, but in a more... social ways.
Who she'd talk to. And then it made me realize.

Hey.
When was the last time Velvet actually spoke with Ponpon?

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Ponpon was last seen on-screen on Part 4 of Turn 20, but she was mentioned in passing this turn, so she's on Velvet's mind enough to where she would probably notice if Mareinette ate Ponpon.

 

[dcoconeo]

I don't see why Mareinette would bother with impersonating Ponpon either: So far we've been ok-ish to her, and although Mareinette is Grail 6 I would like to think we would at least notice something is off (that, and Baldomare, but its a coin toss for that changing anything given her nature)?

 

[Sveta08]

so she's on Velvet's mind enough to where she would probably notice if Mareinette ate Ponpon.

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I don't see why Mareinette would bother with impersonating Ponpon either:

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Oh? No.
No no no no. That's not what I meant at all.

Ponpon is... eh, no way to say it simply. She's the physical representation of Velvet's ability to care about people not in her family but directly in her line of influence. How much her attention is on... mortality? Mundanity. Not quite either of those, but it's the people in her Sphere of Influence that aren't quite in her direct line of attention. How much Velvet is willing to push the line, or permit things to slide.

The... canary in the coal mine kinda way. Them saying things is useful. Important. Helpful. Them not saying things? Very important to note. I had just been forgetting to look for that for a minute.
Admittedly, she took a bit of a backseat when Pride started to roll around, and there was that whole mess to consider. She became less important as a constant person of attention to Velvet, and Velvet began to have a different entourage, so things kind of fell that way. Naturally, normally, not in a way that would really catch any attention or focus. But...

She's... emblematic. A shift that you don't really notice as it's happening or when it's gone, but becomes clear as a turning point.
Velvet still cares. She still tries to care. But she is simply... well. One person. In a very, very big world. Things fall through the cracks, people continue to do their work, and life moves on as normal. But it's...

What I'm trying to say, is that Velvet may be aware of things that Our Lady Mareinette is doing. And she might not be. But that kinda doesn't matter.
It's simply something beneath her threshold to notice or fuss with right now.

 

[Spacemurica]

Welp that was a bullet dodged, I say that having voted for the bullet. Excellent Extra though, I love seeing what ifs, probably my second favorite part of this quest (after Selene/Luna)