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

[Sveta08]

It's the same number of AotL's, the risen can cast one the turn its created. Also Attentions are buffing 2 roll chunks, so 2 of them buffs our first 4 rolls, 3 buffs our first 6. The 3rd one takes our failure chance from 27% to 21%.

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Ah, pardon. For some reason I got combat stuck in my head as a "3 Rolls per Combat turn"

But, still, I am confused by what you mean. Or rather, require some additional clarification.
The only way we are getting another Risen is if we summon one this turn. Without dipping in Velvets Actions, That would likely be Selene or Axe. Pulling from Selene would likely require her to not try to spy on Windy.

So, where are you getting this action from? Velvet?

 

[Greymere]

Ah, pardon. For some reason I got combat stuck in my head as a "3 Rolls per Combat turn"

But, still, I am confused by what you mean. Or rather, require some additional clarification.
The only way we are getting another Risen is if we summon one this turn. Without dipping in Velvets Actions, That would likely be Selene or Axe. Pulling from Selene would likely require her to not try to spy on Windy.

So, where are you getting this action from? Velvet?

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I'm not if this is what you are confused about? But Velvet can "summon" a single Risen as a free action per turn as long as she has a dead body to use.

 

[Shaper47]

[X] Plan Prep for Moth and Grail Sacraments while finally getting our SH Sacrament
-[X] [DETECTIVES] (FOLLOW UP) They have confirmed the presence of changelings in Dodge City. Have them take a closer look, and focus their efforts there. (May not be picked with "Siege Dodge City")
-[X] [CONSTABLES] (FOLLOW UP) Everypony heard what happened to your previous prisoner. Nopony wants to sit around and wait for what happens next. Time to raid the mountain of Tall Tale.
-[X] [COMMISSIONER] Spend time with Cadence
-[X] [DIRECTOR] Lantern
-[X] [RARITY] Focus on her work. (Guarantees she will "succeed" on her career roll)
-[X] [MAREINETTE] You need her to talk to Spoiled Rich
-[X] [AXE] Ask for a Knock lesson x 2
-[X] [CHERENKOLT] Ask for a Forge lesson
-[X] [SELENE] Soothe the night
-[X] [SELENE] Get the Silver Key from Axe (Knock Sacrament)
-[X] [BALDOMARE] SH Sacrament
-[X] Leash Filithy Rich
-[X] One extra Velvet action! (Costs 2 follower actions)
-[X] Needs must. Ask somepony to procure you a dead body from the local cemetery.
-[X] You might need a place to… "store" your enemies. Alive. Dig a small prison under her house.
-[X] You would like for somepony to search for books…
--[X] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (HEART, FORGE)
-[X] Aotl lantern x 2

[X] Plan Prep for Moth and Grail Sacraments while finally getting our SH Sacrament and Edge Sacrament
-[X] [DETECTIVES] (FOLLOW UP) They have confirmed the presence of changelings in Dodge City. Have them take a closer look, and focus their efforts there. (May not be picked with "Siege Dodge City")
-[X] [CONSTABLES] (FOLLOW UP) Everypony heard what happened to your previous prisoner. Nopony wants to sit around and wait for what happens next. Time to raid the mountain of Tall Tale.
-[X] [COMMISSIONER] Spend time with Cadence
-[X] [DIRECTOR] Lantern
-[X] [RARITY] Focus on her work. (Guarantees she will "succeed" on her career roll)
-[X] [MAREINETTE] You need her to talk to Spoiled Rich
-[X] [AXE] Ask for a Knock lesson x 2
-[X] [SELENE] Soothe the night
-[X] [SELENE] Get the Silver Key from Axe (Knock Sacrament)
-[X] [BALDOMARE] SH Sacrament
-[X] [BIEDDE] Edge Influence
-[X] Leash Filithy Rich
-[X] One extra Velvet action! (Costs 2 follower actions)
-[X] Needs must. Ask somepony to procure you a dead body from the local cemetery.
-[X] You might need a place to… "store" your enemies. Alive. Dig a small prison under her house.
-[X] Aotl lantern x 2
-[X] Aotl edge

 

[Sveta08]

I'm not if this is what you are confused about? But Velvet can "summon" a single Risen as a free action per turn as long as she has a dead body to use.

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... She can?

Summoning details:
-Summoning a single Risen of either kind is a FREE ACTION. (Summoning additional Risen costs 1 action per two extra dead bodies.1 Action for a total of 3, 2 for a total of 5, etc.)
-Summoning a Torn Risen requires the use of a dead body.
-Summoning a Torn Risen does NOT require a Ritual Circle.
-They exceptionally last only TWO months.

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... She can. Huh. Hot damn. A'right. Yeah, sure. Free is free. I'll cut the previous graven plan.




[X] Plan: Prisoner Chomping

[X] Plan: Let's Not Kidnap a Prominent Figure From Canterlot

[X] Plan: Prisoner Chomping with dirty hoofs

[x] Plan: Graven Commissioner and Commander
-[X] (Detectives) Follow Up: Dodge City
-[X] (Constables) Follow Up: Tall Tale
-[X] (Commissioner) Get your Hoofs Dirty
-[X] (Director) Lantern
-[X] (Mareinette) Honored Guest: Spoiled Rich & Filthy Rich
-[X] (Biedde) Channel an Edge Influence
-[X] (Baldomare) Channel a Lantern Influence
-[X] (Selene) Soothe the night
-[X] (Selene) Dreamwalking: Spy on Windy Flakes
-[X] (Rarity) Focus on her work
-[X] (Summon) Summon a Torn Risen
-[X] Assault an Opponent: Velvet Hill
-[X] Perform the Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] Target: Easiest Level 7 book to acquire
--[X] At Jade's old house
-[X] Build a prison
-[X] Perform the Attention of the Laws (Edge) x2
-[X] Needs must. Ask somepony to procure you a dead body from the local cemetery.
-[X] Cover your bases (-2 Follower AP, +1 Velvet AP)

 

[Maer]

[X] Plan: Devouring the Sky

I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason 5/9 is the turning point is because we'll have an easier time recruiting more ponies the more Lores we tell the Bureau about. After all, everyone has 2 Lores they're aligned with. So the more Lores we tell them about, the more easily they can bring people in via teaching them and recognizing their affinities.

Only knowing Edge and Lantern only gets us one single kind of Pony. Tossing in a third meets us 3 kinds- L+E, E+F, and F+L, and so on and so forth.

Not sure if that's exactly correct, or even true at all, but it feels right to me.

Edit:

[X] Plan: Velvet of All Lores, Introduction

 

[Arrkhon]

Personally I'm against getting our hooves dirty, I highly doubt that there will be anything of notable use in that hive for us compared to alternative uses of that action
[X] Plan: Devouring the Sky
[X] Plan Prep for Moth and Grail Sacraments while finally getting our SH Sacrament
[X] Plan: Velvet of All Lores, Introduction

 

[Nevermort]

If we are introducing Lores to bureau as Commissioner actions should not we be able to produce two at once due to Lapdog?

And one more plan for the pile

[X] Plan: Velvet of All Lores, Introduction
-[X] Free- Sell Edge 3 artifact
-[X] Detectives - Dodge City
-[X] Constables - Tall Tale Proto-Hive
-[X] Commissioner - Introduce Lore: Forge
-[X] Free Lore Introduction - Lantern
-[X] Cherenkolt Mode - Lantern
-[X] [MAREINETTE] Grail Influence
-[X] [BIEDDE] Edge Influence.
-[X] [BALDOMARE] Lantern Influence
-[X] [SELENE] Soothe the night.
-[X] [SELENE] Spy on Windy
-[X] RotT for Lv. 7 book.At Jade's old house
-[X] RotT for Forge 6 reagent.At Jade's old house
-[X] Get body. If successful Risen
-[X] Cover your bases (-5 Follower AP, +2 Velvet AP )

[X] Plan: Velvet of All Lores

[X] Plan: Graven Commissioner and Commander
-[X] (Detectives) Follow Up: Dodge City
-[X] (Constables) Follow Up: Tall Tale
-[X] (Commissioner) Get your Hoofs Dirty
-[X] (Director) Lantern
-[X] (Mareinette) Honored Guest: Spoiled Rich & Filthy Rich
-[X] (Biedde) Channel an Edge Influence
-[X] (Baldomare) Channel a Lantern Influence
-[X] (Selene) Soothe the night
-[X] (Selene) Dreamwalking: Spy on Windy Flakes
-[X] (Rarity) Focus on her work
-[X] (Summon) Summon a Torn Risen
-[X] Assault an Opponent: Velvet Hill
-[X] Perform the Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] Target: Easiest Level 7 book to acquire
--[X] At Jade's old house
-[X] Build a prison
-[X] Perform the Attention of the Laws (Edge) x2
-[X] Needs must. Ask somepony to procure you a dead body from the local cemetery.
-[X] Cover your bases (-2 Follower AP, +1 Velvet AP)

[X] Plan: Devouring the Sky
[X] Plan: Cannibalism is Cringe
[X] Plan: Prisoner Chomping with dirty hoofs

 

[Greymere]

If we are introducing Lores to bureau as Commissioner actions should not we be able to produce two at once due to Lapdog?

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It's for writing actual manuscripts, though, so I doubt it applies to the "Institutional Knowledge" manuscripts which pretty much are manuscripts-in-name-only, since they don't provide any Lore levels in and of themselves, just provide the Bureau access to the Secret Library.

 

[Nevermort]

It's for writing actual manuscripts, though, so I doubt it applies to the "Institutional Knowledge" manuscripts which pretty much are manuscripts-in-name-only, since they don't provide any Lore levels in and of themselves, just provide the Bureau access to the Secret Library.

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It is specifically level 1 manuscript. I think it adds levels to Library (otherwise why mention its level?)
It is called manuscript, it gives Lore bonus to library...
I guess we can ask to clarify.

 

[Alan975]

[X] Plan: Devouring the Sky

[X] Plan: Graven Commissioner and Commander

[X] Plan Prep for Moth and Grail Sacraments while finally getting our SH Sacrament and Edge Sacrament

 

[Greymere]

It is specifically level 1 manuscript. I think it adds levels to Library (otherwise why mention its level?)
It is called manuscript, it gives Lore bonus to library...
I guess we can ask to clarify.

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Well there's also the fact (that I forgot earlier) that it needs a Forge 1 reagent to operate, which we neither have nor can make this turn unless you're willing to give up Velvet AP, since we already used up our free reagent creation.

 

[Pittauro]

This sort of logic is exactly why we still don't have a three circle site seven turns after we decided to betray the cult and knew we would need a new one. First it was "oh we shouldn't spend AP on finding one, surely BtRC Part 2 will have one!", then it was "but certainly BtRC Part 3 will have one!", and now it's "ah but surely we'll get it from the Bureau (at some unspecificed point in the future)!".

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but BtrC WILL definitely have one!

if we just could afford to do it!

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...skipping the various plan drafts as with voting having begun I can just skip to watch the latest versions...

She can go full Kira and snatch a convicted one from a prison. Lets her bulldoze the problem with Knock and requires no special investigation skills. The Name of Knock can do a prison break in her sleep.

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...

wait, that's actually pretty clever!

We don't NEED to search for a criminal like that! We can just have Axe (and Biedde) break into a prison and get someone from there!

It would near certainly be a short expedition, admittedly, but send Axe + Mareinette and they can probably fake being there to move the prisoner around or something.

You can do a write-in of "Readress the Needle contract".

What will happen is that I'll open a sub-vote of what direction you will try to take the negotiations (such as trying to increase dividends, let go of the "commission" opportunity to get more per-turn money with an exclusivity deal, etc). But how the negotiations would go would certainly depend on how you roll after making a choice.

And to be clear, Grail is good, and ponies are social. But it might involve more than one dice roll, and they might not all involve Grail. Even now I can think of a Stewardship roll to see just how good your proposed terms are, or if you won't have a negotiation blind spot that will be capitalized by the more business savvy Needles.

Stuff like that.

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mh... would any other lore beside grail help here at all? If not this still has potential if we send Mareinette to negotiate for us.

...if it wasn't too late I'd say to wait 2 turns and then send "befriended" Mareinette, who'd be more likely to give it her all...

Except that's not what any of the currently proposed plans do. As far as I can tell Pittauro is the only one thinking about scry + die kidnap. The rest are having DoA just go out and do her thing, with "prison break" being mentioned as a possibility how she might do that. Not that we would intentionally be sending DoA to break into a prison.

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sadly scry and eat is not really popular.

The remorseless players have set on Spoiled Rich.

The VENGEFUL players have set on Velvet Hill.

I suppose Axe on random criminal is fine too. Or we could send Selene. I wonder if she could find someone suitable through dream-walking?

Problem is that dreaming of fucked up things does NOT mean you're a criminal... then again she could, say, find a child dreaming of being molested/abused, and point us at the molester.

I debated how much I "should" tell you, but this is something Velvet herself has realized from the subtext. So no problem sharing what she thinks.

Velvet is pretty sure "all" the prices will increase "every rebinding".

Except a promise to take her Sacrament, of course.

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Yeah, I kinda expected something like "the 1 lvl 2 artifact request now is a lvl 3", and similar upgrades.

If we plan to give Rarity lesson this turn focusing on her job is overcautious. She most likely would not fail even without it. And if we are doing it out of consideration for future Commissions QM gave us action to rework her contract so it also would not matter if we take said action sometime soon.

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Keep in mind we... actually don't know if her career roll is grail, forge, or both.

I kinda assumed it's forge, so no reroll would apply.

... @OurLadyOfWires actually I forgot, what does Rarity's realization do? I remember it had something to do with colors, sensing when they don't suit someone? Does it help her in the career rolls?

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I'll look at the plans later

 

[spiderhellian]

@Talon Tiger Dino What are you trying to do with Cannibalism is Cringe?

We just made a commitment to Mareinette. Are you thinking we just ignore that? Or are you planning on Spoiled..?

@Sveta08 Why not send Velvet on the Tall Tale assault?

 

[DelightedOne]

We just made a commitment to Mareinette. Are you thinking we just ignore that? Or are you planning on Spoiled..?

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A commitment we might change later. Just as a reminder.

From now on, during the turn planning period, you will have access to actions of "The Moods of Mareinette".

You will have to pick one of the available options every turn, and the nature of those options may change or evolve. But at least one of the available options will always be free.

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[ses]

The remorseless players have set on Spoiled Rich.

The VENGEFUL players have set on Velvet Hill.

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I take offense to this!

You forgot "Greedy"

Velvet Hill means we get to steal shit while we're there and get sorely needed bits for Forge shenanigans and Book Hunt expeditions. I am extremely dismayed at the lack of support for having Axe do SOMETHING to get us funds this turn when we have so many expenses coming up and a Biedde who needs money to not start problems that will eat Bureau actions. (Back during the Master vote, QM talked about his reasons for vetoing the idea of giving the Master Mareinette, and part of it was that he would give her "free time" as her rebinding price and that this would translate into a Grail Cult who would basically eat all the Bureau's actions trying to keep down. I assume that giving Biedde free time will cause basically the same thing with Edge Cult instead of Grail.)

Keep in mind we... actually don't know if her career roll is grail, forge, or both.

I kinda assumed it's forge, so no reroll would apply.

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She benefits from both her forge and grail levels, a grail reroll would absolutely apply to her career roll. That's not even a possibility of not happening. Her Grail realization is directly related to her career and everything!

 

[Anjaxis]

[X] Plan: Cannibalism is Cringe

 

[Sveta08]

@Sveta08 Why not send Velvet on the Tall Tale assault?

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I am!
In the Commissioner and Commander plans, Graven and not, that is the plan.
I am, however, also voting for the Devouring the Sky plan, even though it isn't going for the assault, because it prioritiezes what I consider more important, the Edge Sacrament. And, that's how voting blocks work well.

 

[Greymere]

I am!
In the Commissioner and Commander plans, Graven and not, that is the plan.
I am, however, also voting for the Devouring the Sky plan, even though it isn't going for the assault, because it prioritiezes what I consider more important, the Edge Sacrament. And, that's how voting blocks work well.

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Technically you're not anymore, since it's not in your most recent voting post

 

[spiderhellian]

Right.

I think it's still better to go for Spoiled. Makes things so, SO, much simpler. Our father is going to be a MESS.

And we are being SO cocky, and taking a needless risk.

Without it, we ALSO get ready for the Forge Sacrament, AND save a bunch of bits and an Axe action.

[X] Plan: Waste Not Want Not

If we're really going after Dad. Then I'll go with

[X] Plan: Graven Commissioner and Commander

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A commitment we might change later. Just as a reminder.

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NO!

A commitment you change later isn't a commitment at all!

It's just a lie!

We just had a vote about this! Having committed to her, you think we should just… move on and ready ourselves to ignore it???

You want us to have lied to Mareinette?

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

@Talon Tiger Dino What are you trying to do with Cannibalism is Cringe?

We just made a commitment to Mareinette. Are you thinking we just ignore that? Or are you planning on Spoiled..?

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It is for people who don't want Velvet to commit cannibalism. It is that simple.

I also have a plan for people that want a snake to go Punisher on some random child molester before dragging them to Velvet's (metaphorically) waiting maw, for those that do want to commit cannibalism without all the rigaramole of assaulting Hills or reading about Velvet going, "this is evil and selfish and I don't care, Hills must die."

 

[DelightedOne]

We just had a vote about this! Having committed to her, you think we should just… move on and ready ourselves to ignore it???

You want us to have lied to Mareinette?

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Oh my, no. Lying to such an Honored Guest? I would never.

It is just that... things change you know. One month Velvet could be fine with continuing her dealings with Mareinette and the next she starts having doubts.

Can you even imagine how a herbivorous would feel when she has to eat flesh, of her own kind even. Maybe this is one of the things Velvet Covers can't do and she just didn't realize it.

After Mareinette is informed of this, the two will go their separate ways. That is completely normal and happens fairly often.

And besides all of that the "Moods of Mareinette" votes are supposed to happen every turn so I assume that was something our QM had in mind when he created it.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Yeah, people seem to be treating the Moods as an ironclad agreement when it very explicitly is not, and it is admittedly irksome.

 

[DelightedOne]

I think it is just to have a semblance of stability, something that can't be taken back and is a choice made by the players.

Not really that weird considering all we have lost on the way here.

 

[Shaper47]

Sigh, I just want to stop putting off a SH Sacrament.

It's been like a year in game.

 

[spiderhellian]

Oh my, no. Lying to such an Honored Guest? I would never.

It is just that... things change you know. One month Velvet could be fine with continuing her dealings with Mareinette and the next she starts having doubts.

Can you even imagine how a herbivorous would feel when she has to eat flesh, of her own kind even. Maybe this is one of the things Velvet Covers can't do and she just didn't realize it.

After Mareinette is informed of this, the two will go their separate ways. That is completely normal and happens fairly often.

And besides all of that the "Moods of Mareinette" votes are supposed to happen every turn so I assume that was something our QM had in mind when he created it.

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Yeah, people seem to be treating the Moods as an ironclad agreement when it very explicitly is not, and it is admittedly irksome.

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Yes, this is lying.

When you "signal to Mareinette that you are still interested in your ongoing relationship. She will hold you for that." —You don't get to change your mind the next month.

What do you think "she will hold you for that" means???

@OurLadyOfWires I think there's considerable confusion because we get a Moods vote each turn. Will we have the same options next turn? Will they be a different choice, as she explores different moods? Are you able to offer any clarity?

 

[Zxzx24]

[X] Plan: Cannibalism is Cringe

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Man the vote is close right now.

 

[Rafuki22]

Oh my, no. Lying to such an Honored Guest? I would never.

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Don't try to be coy, atleast be honest about it.

Yeah, people seem to be treating the Moods as an ironclad agreement when it very explicitly is not, and it is admittedly irksome.

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Or maybe some just want to have their cake and eat it too because they think they can just ignore the Honored Guest.

Killing is killing, eating is eating, trying to use Velvet father or a criminal as dinner is just someone that you use to pat yourself in the back saying "I'm not as bad as i could have been".

And it is more of a waste to use them when we alredy spent AP on another, more accesible option, but having cold feet is common i guess.

 

[Pittauro]

Killing is killing, eating is eating, trying to use Velvet father or a criminal as dinner is just someone that you use to pat yourself in the back saying "I'm not as bad as i could have been".

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Doesn't make it untrue. Unless you're telling me that killing a criminal and killing (or eating) Spoiled Rich is the same thing

 

[DelightedOne]

Don't try to be coy, atleast be honest about it.

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I guess sarcasm doesn't flow through a screen as well as I thought it would.

But aside from that I was quite serious about the rest of the post. People change, that is normal.

Velvet realizing she is not into cannibalism a month after she thought she could do it is not really out of character.