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

[ses]

We didn't do commission this turn. You saying we get them immediately if we take it next turn?

though the 100 bits WOULD be enough.

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Commission income is immediate, artifact sales take a turn. That's correct.

It is just barely possible for us to squeeze Velvet into a Long expedition next turn actually. We're spending 3 AP on Sacraments next turn, and could potentially have 3 more AP from +1 Cover Your Bases and +1 Constables No Action. It would only cost us delaying Dodge City a month. I doubt we do that though. We're more likely to do Axe Solo and Mareinette+Selene if we insist on buying one extra expedition ticket The thrice-cursed gorge is likely to contain a Social hurdle as well as esoteric curses. Heart and Winter are the best lores for esoteric curses, we're probably going to have Mareinette carry the cursed Winter 4 artifact and simply have her spend her AP on Heart influence/lesson the turn after so the curse expires with mareinette having made no rolls that month. Meanwhile the swamp is the buried ruins of an ancient empire, which says Forge to me, so Axe+Cherenkolt seems good. I doubt we spend Selene AP+bits compared to having Axe and Mareinette solo.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

At least Ax gets 2 actions a turn, so she can handle one of the short expedition.

 

[Sveta08]

...and +1 Constables No Action...

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I would bet there's more things we'll be able to have the constables do thanks to that raid.
But, nothing much else in my mind at this moment.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Might as well knock out as many expeditions as we can this coming turn whilst we have spare followers scry and spy for Biedde's contingency actors in the Wake; then the hammer falls upon them the turn after.

 

[spiderhellian]

Sadly though, Antisocial says "All her bonus, regardless of circumstance or situation, fall down to a flat "+10" if she attempts to engage in any social action (even her usual +50 expedition bonus, if the hurdle being faced is social in nature)." Bonuses from Lore Levels are still bonuses, and thus get shoved down to +10. The only way around that is to have another person do the talking.

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@OurLadyOfWires Can you clarify? If Axe faces a Grail/social challenge with artefact-Cherenkolt in Grail form (or another Grail artefact), does she roll with +10 or +10+15=+25 (from the Grail 3 Cherenkolt artefact)?

 

[Xoden]

It's certainly funny that an action picked to minimise costs now incurs more costs on mitigating its downsides.

 

[Greymere]

And sending multiple Names on long expeditions is just not going to happen. Thinking we need to do that is just flatly wrong. Axe can and will solo a long expedition, and Mareinette can solo another. They'll be able to take artifacts including the Forge Name's lore levels, but multiple names on the same expedition dont stack their general bonus. The only thing they add is their +6 lore levels, which just flat out isn't worth 150 bits. Axe has 5 HP and regens one every turn. Mareinette has basically ~arbitrary HP. They can afford to retry hurdles. Expeditions are balanced around retrying hurdles. That's supposed to happen! The fact that they can hopefully line their expeditions up so that both long expeditions get the Forge Name artifact levels IS ALREADY sending two beings on each expedition in every way that matters! If Forge Name can't go on both of them then Axe+Forge Name in fun size form can do one and Mareinette+Selene can do another or something if you really insist.

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If a long, difficult expedition has anything less that DC100 or higher checks, I'd be surprised. +6 Lore levels on a roll would literally be the difference between an actual coin flip chance and an 80% success rate, and Cherenkolt's presence only matters if Forge levels are actually used. Which we won't know, or what to recalibrate him to for the best results, if we insist on throwing Names completely blind and alone into the pit. And god forbid DoA run into anything remotely resembling a social situation. Consecutive coinflip-or-worse odds are not good odds for us.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

The first time you saw Smiles in the Wake, you did not think he was old. That thought struck you, later on. Because every other Name you have ever laid eyes on, in the Wake, felt old. They felt old even if they did not look old, like a tree that grew too tall or the face of a mountain.

But Smiles did not look old. When your daughter opened the door to your study, her tiny frame backed by a form so large he had to squeeze himself through the door, he did not look old.

He looked younger than her.

He looked younger than it should be possible. Like a perfected form of a machine, scribbled on an engineer's notebook, that will only be built ten years from now.

He looked like something that came from the future. His eyes bright with ideas of how the world should be, and his large body somehow diminished by the weight and backwardness of your current time.

Smiles felt like a herald of change, bristling with potential and ready to champion what comes next.

Which was, you supposed, the perfect opposite of that monument to the status quo that he replaced.

Still, he arrived, and he came to you, and he kept to the final part of his promise on that same day.

But not before you had a long conversation with him.

"You are an interesting one," he said. "And in a world as strange as this, I would almost say you are familiar. Almost."

The stallion said that as he absent-mindedly looked around the room. At one point, he looked out through the window, towards the sun, and a victorious smile appeared at the edge of his lips.

"For starters, you are growing stronger. The contrast between you and the other mortals is like night from day, and I know that didn't happen overnight."

At times, when you looked in another direction and could only see him at the edge of your vision, you noticed something.

He looked very different from how you saw him in your dreams, yes. But you could see that whatever courtesy he was using to alter his shape was not perfect. Or perhaps, he could not bother to contain himself any more than he had to.

Sometimes, on the very edge of your vision, you had the impression that his hoofs were different. Maybe it was a trick of the light, or maybe he had something else instead of hoofs. Something with digits, and hidden fangs that would scratch against the floor if he flexed them a little too much.

Sometimes, you swore his horse-like tail was something else. Something longer, thinner, and with much shorter fur, that you have only ever seen in the odd feline that stalks Ponyville or the farmlands.

"You are also making yourself seamless," he continued. "I can smell some of your mistakes, here and there. But only traces of them. Only enough for me to know they were here, but no longer are. I cannot see them, because you have chosen to close your wounds rather than dwell on them."

And silly as it might have been, it was only at that point that you realized he had no cutie mark.

No cutie mark. No Brand. Nothing in his great horse-sized flank that rippled with hard muscles every time he walked.

A part of you felt relieved at that. At the thought that, whatever fanged and clawed creature he was, he was not a pony. But another part of you regretted that, since he was not a pony, then you would never be able to be like him.

"And when it comes to making monsters…" he chuckled darkly. "Well, I think you are well acquainted with that."

He said that, and he did not have to elaborate any further. The Woods, and the Tribal Door, and Equestria as a whole were more than enough reminders for you to understand what he meant to say.

"But that is why you are only almost familiar. Because despite doing all of those things, the reason why you do it is another entirely," he finally turned his eyes towards you, that predatory gaze held back by gentleness gazing straight into your soul. "Not for Glory, which is out of reach. Not for glory, which would steal you from the company in this home of yours. And not to spite a rival."

Or at least not a mortal rival, he mused with a shrug. After all the worms you professed to oppose are still as distant a threat as they were Eras ago.

"But a promise is a promise. And whether you keep me around or decide we should go our separate ways, my old enemy now wants you removed from the board. So of course, I will help you make his struggle a little harder.

He said that, and then he taught you about the wisdom that exists in permitting yourself to be broken.

"There is an argument your flesh can make. One day, perhaps, you will argue it in an irrefragable way. But for now, at least, these are its opening words."





Velvet Covers has reached Edge level 5.

You have also discussed more things with Smiles, including his plans for the Wake and his views on his relationship with you.

Smiles' "Befriending progression" has been set to "0/40." Smiles' sheet has been updated with more information on the rituals threadmark.

 

[Greymere]

EDGE: I Heal Without Scars: If a creature damages (causes wounds) to you and is later destroyed, you will instantly heal for whatever wounds you received from that creature. (Level 5);

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Huh. So basically, if we get into a fight, no matter how many wounds we take, as long as we kill it in the end it'll be like we were never hurt at all. Fitting, for a Sacrament from a Name of the Lionsmith.

 

[Sintonir]

Ok, this Sacrament seems strong.
Does it bring us back from Dancing with Death?
Does it work on summons (who are sent back to Mansus, instead of being killed)?

 

[ses]

[Incorporeal]: If a Windigo survives a battle, it will heal back to full health.

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Not quite the same since we have to win the fight and not run. But it's funny nevertheless.

Ok, this Sacrament seems strong.
Does it bring us back from Dancing with Death?
Does it work on summons (who are sent back to Mansus, instead of being killed)?

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Huh, that's a good question. By the rules DWD nukes your Lores to nonexistent, but while that makes you forget all your Realizations besides DWD itself, Axe did explain that Sacraments can never be undone even if we came to regret our decisions and forgot our Lores. So that makes me think possibly we would heal.

"Not for Glory, which is out of reach.

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Heheheheheheh

 

[spiderhellian]

I appreciate Smiles' openness. And I see what you meant about his lionlike nature, Bird!

That does seem really, really, helpful. We can take multiple combats over the course of an expedition without being grinned away at.

 

[ses]

Smiles' Invitation: "You made the right choice."
-Accept Smiles' offer to oppose Biedde.
-Other paths to his Sacrament were never discussed.
[You have attained Sacrament through this method]

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

WE TOLD YOU! We told you we could have eventually gotten Edge sacrament while playing both sides! Aaargh!

(And even if it wasn't see the threads insistence on dropping half a dozen Name AP into fixing the problem we dropped on our laps)

 

[Sintonir]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

WE TOLD YOU! We told you we could have eventually gotten Edge sacrament while playing both sides! Aaargh!

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Eventually.
Though we might've gotten it more directly from the Lionsmith, which might've been better.

 

[Greymere]

(And even if it wasn't see the threads insistence on dropping half a dozen Name AP into fixing the problem we dropped on our laps)

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Unless I missed a chunk of the discussion somewhere, this is nowhere near as prolific of a thing as you're trying to suggest.

 

[DelightedOne]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

WE TOLD YOU! We told you we could have eventually gotten Edge sacrament while playing both sides! Aaargh!

(And even if it wasn't see the threads insistence on dropping half a dozen Name AP into fixing the problem we dropped on our laps)

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Yes, yes. The World is round and all of that.

However this feels more fitting for Velvet as the text indicated.

And I'm curious how Silky will handle only having the Strength side of Edge instead of both at hoof.

 

[ses]

So the befriending requirements are gratuitously simple. Even simpler than Forge Name's! Crushingly expensive but simple! Fluttershy/Comet! We need you both!

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

A few notes.

First, please see the end of the update. It has been updated to add this:

You have also discussed more things with Smiles, including his plans for the Wake and his views on his relationship with you.

Smiles' "Befriending progression" has been set to "0/40." Smiles' sheet has been updated with more information on the rituals threadmark.

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Secondly:

Huh. So basically, if we get into a fight, no matter how many wounds we take, as long as we kill it in the end it'll be like we were never hurt at all. Fitting, for a Sacrament from a Name of the Lionsmith.

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Ok, this Sacrament seems strong.
Does it bring us back from Dancing with Death?
Does it work on summons (who are sent back to Mansus, instead of being killed)?

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I have UPDATED the "I Heal Without Scars" skill to read that, exceptionally, it will trigger even if Dancing with Death. Although all Lore levels (including Edge) will still be "nuked" when Dancing with Death.

Also, that is why I used the wording "destroyed."
If something takes away your health, and is then destroyed by any means, you will instantly recover from the damage it caused you when said creature is destroyed. Mortal or summoned.
Although this does NOT fix "maluses" (so if a creature curses you, with Dread or Fascination, or with magic that decreases your maximum health like a "poisoned blood" debuff, said debuff is not instantly healed from.)



EDIT:
This turned out short and sweet, so I'll go write the next threadmark. Bureau debriefing and all that.

I hope you are all doing well.

 

[Greymere]

--Velvet Covers gives "+5" to his progress bar per Personal Action gifted, due to her present influence.

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@OurLadyOfWires quick question, because I'm sure it will come up at some point: can our social action be used on this?

 

[ses]

A few notes.

First, please see the end of the update. It has been updated to add this:



Secondly:


I have UPDATED the "I Heal Without Scars" skill to read that, exceptionally, it will trigger even if Dancing with Death. Although all Lore levels (including Edge) will still be "nuked" when Dancing with Death.

Also, that is why I used the wording "destroyed."
If something takes away your health, and is then destroyed by any means, you will instantly recover from the damage it caused you when aid creature is destroyed. Mortal or summoned.
Although this does NOT fix "maluses" (so if a creature curses you, with Dread or Fascination, or with magic that decreases your maximum health like a "poisoned blood" debuff, said debuff is not instantly healed from.)



EDIT:
This turned out short and sweet, so I'll go write the next threadmark. Bureau debriefing and all that.

I hope you are all doing well.

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So it's intentional that we didn't get +5 Personal Combat for edge 5 then? Damn that sucks. Never mind the top line

"
Perks:
-+20 to Personal Combat;
-+1 Martial;
-Immunity to ambushes, and limited sensorial skills regardless of nearby obstacles;
-During combat, your first of every six combat rolls is rolled twice, and you keep the largest result."

hasn't been updated but

"-Level 5: A vase that hits the ground does not crumble into dust, it merely shatters. A body that is cut is not destroyed, it merely exposes its weakest links. And the same way a broken vase may be repaired with gold, so too can a body be reformed with strength. Being broken by violence is nothing but an opportunity to be reforged. (Further +5 to Personal Combat. I Heal Without Scars: If a creature damages (causes wounds) to Velvet Covers and is later destroyed, Velvet Covers will instantly heal for whatever wounds she received from that creature, even if you are Dancing with Death.)"
Says +5 to personal combat. So I guess that part just didnt get updated yet.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

@OurLadyOfWires quick question, because I'm sure it will come up at some point: can our social action be used on this?

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Sure.

In fact, unironically, gifting personal actions to his progress will involve you (for example) introducing him to Fair Trial and Cadance. So yes, it will be social stuff, and can use social action for it.

 

[Greymere]

Well then. I guess we have an easy pick to throw AP at if we're not pursuing more Sacraments or putting out fires!

Sorry Constables, you gotta do our paperwork for a bit, we've got a Name to befriend!

Edit: Also, notably, due to the math involved, 1 Velvet AP is more valuable than 2 Follower AP. So if it's a choice between Cover Your Bases or giving those AP away to Smiles... it's more efficient to Cover Your Bases then give the resulting Velvet AP.

 

[LieutenantSpirit]

I don't like having a direct enemy of Biedde, but we chose our side and have to live with it. I suppose, in a way, this was inevitable. Velvet would never allow herself to fall into the service of the Colonel, and if you're not with him, you're against him.

At least we can actually work against spreading the Colonel's influence instead of passively supporting it while keeping Biedde here.

 

[spiderhellian]

"The old fuck will always have more access to the Wake than I have. It's just the reality of how we are placed in the board. Still, I can teach this world to resist his ways."

Smiles wishes to "inoculate" this world against the Colonel's tyranny. He claims to have his ways, but he also realizes this world is new and strange to him, to the point that he will accept all the help he can get.

To that end, Smiles will perform "behind the scenes" actions, where he will (in his own words) "whisper a few things here and there so ponies know better."

He promised not to start any rebellions, and to keep fires at the barest minimum.


EXTENDING SMILES' SUMMONING PERIOD
-Once Smiles' summoning period ends, he will ask for Follower Actions to renew his bindings.
-For every additional turn you wish for him to stay in the Wake, he will ask for one additional Follower Action.
-The Follower Action for his summoning extension can be from any creature, even creatures that are "Unintelligent." But Velvet Covers' actions may not be used to renew his summoning period.
-This means he will ask for 1 Follower Action at the beginning of his fourth turn in the Wake, 2 Follower Actions at the beginning of his fifth turn in the Wake, 3 Follower Actions at the beginning of his sixth turn in the Wake, etc.
-Follower Actions used to renew his summoning will ONLY count as "+1" per Follower Action used, even if you use the actions of mortal ponies or Mareinette (see "Befriending" rules below for more information).


BEFRIENDING SMILES
-Smiles operates on a "progress bar" mechanic. He will start his progress bar at "0/40." Once his progress bar reaches "40/40" he will be immediately BEFRIENDED.
-This "progress bar" represents Smiles' progress in subtly influencing pony culture to be more resistant to the Colonel's moves.
-EVERY TURN Smiles is in the Wake, he will add one point to his progress bar.
-EVERY Follower Action dedicated to renewing Smiles' summoning period will count as an equivalent number of points for his progress bar. (When you spend two Follower Actions to renew his summoning the second time, that will also add "+2" to his progress bar, on top of Smiles own natural "+1" per turn.)
-You may also "gift" Follower Actions to Smiles, representing extra effort in furthering his goals. "Gifted" follower actions are more effective, and follow special rules:
--Summoned creatures, even if they are Names, give "+1" to his progress bar. And "Unintelligent" creatures may NOT be gratuitously "gifted" to help him (although they can still be used to extend his summoning);
--Mortal ponies give "+2" to his progress bar, due to their understanding of the current era.
--Selene gives "+3" to his progress bar, due to her access to Ponykind's subconscious dreams.
--Velvet Covers gives "+5" to his progress bar per Personal Action gifted, due to her present influence.
--Mareinette, exceptionally, gives "+5" to his progress bar per Follower Action given despite being a summoned Name.
-You oppose the Colonel, even if you do not serve the Lionsmith. But laughing Smiles just see this as an "enemy of my enemy" situation, and is ready to swear aid to your cause once he is done reinforcing this Era's culture.

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Hmmm, this is... slow. Not hard, not too expensive, but slow. Something like 4 Mareinette/Velvet actions + 2 Selene actions + 7 mortal actions gets us there, but that's really non-trivial.

Once Mareinette is befriended, she's pretty good at this, but we do want her actions for Heart lessons at least (and maybe Grail too, since Grail 5 will be there for the taking).

Solid use of low-lore Confidants, though... Filthy or Fluttercomet or [Mayor Mare/Cherrilee/Filthy Rich/etc.]

 

[spiderhellian]

I have UPDATED the "I Heal Without Scars" skill to read that, exceptionally, it will trigger even if Dancing with Death. Although all Lore levels (including Edge) will still be "nuked" when Dancing with Death.

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@OurLadyOfWires So we'd be at 3/3 health, but still Dancing with Death for the turn? Or just that even if Dancing with Death, if we killed our foe, we'd then be restored to full health/out of Dancing with Death? That would be fascinating, I wonder how the people around us would react.

 

[ses]

@OurLadyOfWires So we'd be at 3/3 health, but still Dancing with Death for the turn? Or just that even if Dancing with Death, if we killed our foe, we'd then be restored to full health/out of Dancing with Death? That would be fascinating, I wonder how the people around us would react.

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If a mortal nuked us into Dancing with Death and then we tasked Selene with hitting him with an End is Beautiful that means we'd just instantly heal halfway through the turn I think lmao.

 

[spiderhellian]

If a mortal nuked us into Dancing with Death and then we tasked Selene with hitting him with an End is Beautiful that means we'd just instantly heal halfway through the turn I think lmao.

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Take three wounds in the Depths of the Ruined Church? Simply destroy it and all is good!

 

[Rafuki22]

@OurLadyOfWires So, hypothetically, for curiosity sake, if an enemy almost killed Velvet, Velvet escaped, healed to full and then the enemy was destroyed, would then nothing happen or would her health overflow?

I know that it is highly unlikely, but curiosity.

 

[Quaxotia]

WE TOLD YOU! We told you we could have eventually gotten Edge sacrament while playing both sides! Aaargh!

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On the flip side, Smiles' revealed friendship condition would certainly piss off the Colonel and by extension Biedde as predicted. So this works out for befriending Smiles without having to wait for Silky Stream to finish subverting Biedde or spend time micromanaging the two. No doubt Biedde would notice if Smiles were going around fomenting resistance to the Colonel. The action constraints and enmity management probably would've made it infeasible to befriend Smiles if we took both.

The way I see it, both Lionsmith and Coward's Way turn out to be persistent upkeep sinks. The "cheapest" option would have actually been to go with the Colonel, since Smiles had no hope of being summoned into the Wake without us. But that cost was already deemed too high.

I can see the shape of it as adding a persistent terrifying enemy with an associated mitigation, since I imagine Smiles successfully completing his work will make summoning Biedde much more difficult.

I Heal Without Scars: If a creature damages (causes wounds) to Velvet Covers and is later destroyed, Velvet Covers will instantly heal for whatever wounds she received from that creature, even if you are Dancing with Death.

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This might come in clutch in a worst case scenario where Biedde gets the drop on Velvet Covers in the middle of the turn. She can freely use up most of her health to try to get Biedde down to Wrong Key range, and if successful then all the wounds will vanish like a bad dream.

 

[ses]

It's funny that Velvet no longer needs to fear getting got by a lucky shot if she ever decides to slaughter another Changeling Hive.

She was scary enough this turn, but her Sacrament makes her a literal army slayer