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

Reader mode
Shaper47 said:
???

You definitely missed something.
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I see your point and actions that have specific mentions of things to do could lead to it, though I have doubts about the effectiveness of it. Honestly I'm talking more about your specific note about studying the flowers which I don't think will do anything extra and feels a little like trying to game the system.
That and I think the fact the beacon isn't actually an option even though Velvet knows where it is says a lot about it.
 
OurLadyOfWires said:
Scheduled vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Nov 17, 2025 at 5:00 PM, finished with 6 posts and 5 votes.
  • [X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (2x), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehatten book
    -[X] Uncle Steppes has been... distant, this month. But now, he asked for a moment of your time. "Just making sure everything is in order" he said, saying he has a gift for you. (Not picking this option will still net you his gift, but without your imput)
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
    [X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
    -[X] Level up Rarity
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
    [X] Follow the Plan
    [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
    [X] Follow the Plan
    -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
    --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
    -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
    --[X] Spoiled Milk
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
    -[X] Invoke a Risen
    -[X] [KNOCK] The Ashen Wastes
    --[X] [KNOCK] Tarrying in the Wastes is always a poor idea… but there is no other way to discover what this place holds.
    -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
    --[X] Challenge Biedde to a spar… this will surely hurt.
    -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
    --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
    -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
    --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
    -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
    ---[X] Study the flowers
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
    ---[X] Study the Beacon
    [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
    -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
    --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
    -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
    --[X] Spoiled Milk
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
    -[X] Invoke a Risen
    -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
    --[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow REGRETTABLE ACTION
    -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
    --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
    -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
    --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
    -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
    ---[X] Study the flowers
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
    ---[X] Study the Beacon
    -[X] Get your hoofs dirty and join the assault on Tall Tale with the Luna Bureau
    [X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
    -[X] Talk to Cheerilee
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
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What the f...

You know what, we will just use the good old "New Tally" option when the time comes to close the vote. The auto-setting system seems to be a bit bugged. I'll bring it up in user support.

Also, all this talk about Heart scraps makes me think how very tragic it will be if the Lebel 7 book you (try to) scry turns out to be a Heart book :V

Anyways. I don't see any pings so I won't get in your way.

Let's all assume the vote will close "Thursday night," and we can push it further ahead if people think it's needed. But I think we have a good rythm goin on so far.

I hope you are all doing well!
 
DelightedOne said:
The Leash wouldn't even be needed, she can turn a stranger into a Close Friend with moderate effort, Acquaintance to Close Friend should be even easier.
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Ehh. On one hand, I feel like Spoiled Rich was a bit of an unusual situation, considering how sycophantic she is generally. On the other hand, Mayor Mare is pretty invested in our opinion, so maybe that would be enough with Mareinette's social bullshit to skip a stage.

Either way, Mareinette should be at least able to get her to Friend. If she can get her to skip a stage, great, no Leash needed. If she can't, then it'll be free once we've gotten our Moth Sacrament to Leash Mayor Mare up to Close Friend before the end of the turn to avoid her doom.

OurLadyOfWires said:
Also, all this talk about Heart scraps makes me think how very tragic it will be if the Lebel 7 book you (try to) scry turns out to be a Heart book
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It would be a bit annoying, but I wouldn't really feel bad about it. Getting a befriended Name is definitely more valuable than hitting Heart 4.
 
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[X] Follow the Plan

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

[X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
 
[X] Promises are Painful
-[X] [AOTL] Edge
-[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
-[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps
-[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book and Manehattan book
-[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 Artifact
-[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
-[X] [ACTION] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
---[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow. (Will also provide you with a Winter Sacrament)
-[X] [MANSUS] The Summit
--[X] [MANSUS] Ponder upon the Final Gate.
THIS PLAN CONTAINS A REGRETTABLE ACTION

[X] Promises are Painful
Wasn't counting my and Shaper's vote together so I put this here too, same as plan above.

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon


Glad this is back in business, hope your doing good everyone.
 
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[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon

[X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...

[X] Plan Reminder, Uncle is gone

[X] Follow the Plan

I have reading it so time ago, that i forgot about common plan. And i choose most interesting plans)
 
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None of Shaper47's plans are valid plans, so voting for them makes no sense. All of them involve write-ins that have no QM approval and I would bet my left testicle aren't kosher.

@IronHydra Your plan also doesn't work, Mansus exploration is 2 mansus explores per AP spent and you only spend 1.

I suppose that's an... interesting way of going about it, subjecting us to a DC 120 test to avoid Fascination. But it might give us a lantern scrap for a half-ap? We dont actually have any idea what a mansus action revisiting an explored area will entail, but we know that exploring a Summit area again involves a DC 120 check against very real dangers. We were originally told back at the start of the quest that scraps would only be given for revisiting areas on a highroll in addition to passing the area hurdle, but we have no idea what that actually means specifically.

OurLadyOfWires said:
--[] [MANSUS] Reach for the Valley of Keys, where the snakemare of the Mansus toils for her freedom.
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@OurLadyOfWires probably needs updating
 
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@OurLadyOfWires can you comment on the legality of using our personal AP to rejoin the Bureau's attack against the Tall Tale hive? Because I could have sworn that this topic came up before, but I can't find the conclusion.
 
ses said:
None of Shaper47's plans are valid plans, so voting for them makes no sense. All of them involve write-ins that have no QM approval and I would bet my left testicle aren't kosher.
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Your reaching, I don't see why there not valid but really just ask instead of making stuff up.

@OurLadyOfWires Are the write-ins in the hopes of getting a possible lantern scrap valid?

Shaper47 said:
-[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
---[X] Study the flowers
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
---[X] Study the Beacon
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ses said:
@OurLadyOfWires probably needs updating
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Thank you, I'll do it shortly.

Greymere said:
@OurLadyOfWires can you comment on the legality of using our personal AP to rejoin the Bureau's attack against the Tall Tale hive? Because I could have sworn that this topic came up before, but I can't find the conclusion.
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The easy answer is "no". You can't use a personal action to do the "Get your hooves dirty" Commissioner Action.

HOWEVER, I am amenable (if there is interest in it) for you to use a personal action to ONLY participate in the assault on Tall Tale.

See below for my discussion on Shaper's plan.

Shaper47 said:
@OurLadyOfWires Are the write-ins in the hopes of getting a possible lantern scrap valid?
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See below.



I'll add a vote tally here to see the ongoing plans. I'll edit this post to include my thoughts on the plans in a few minutes.
Also, quick FYI if you try to tally the votes. It was a bit of a mess, for reasons I can't explain. Had to manually join some votes together for it to make sense.
Adhoc vote count started by OurLadyOfWires on Nov 18, 2025 at 11:12 PM, finished with 91 posts and 11 votes.
  • [X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (2x), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehatten book
    -[X] Uncle Steppes has been... distant, this month. But now, he asked for a moment of your time. "Just making sure everything is in order" he said, saying he has a gift for you. (Not picking this option will still net you his gift, but without your imput)
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
    [X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
    -[X] Level up Rarity
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
    [X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
    -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
    --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
    -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
    --[X] Spoiled Milk
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
    -[X] Invoke a Risen
    -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
    --[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow REGRETTABLE ACTION
    -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
    --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
    -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
    --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
    -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
    ---[X] Study the flowers
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
    ---[X] Study the Beacon
    -[X] Get your hoofs dirty and join the assault on Tall Tale with the Luna Bureau
    [X] Follow the Plan
    -[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
    --[X] [FORGE Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
    -[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
    --[X] Spoiled Milk
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
    -[X] Invoke a Risen
    -[X] [KNOCK] The Ashen Wastes
    --[X] [KNOCK] Tarrying in the Wastes is always a poor idea… but there is no other way to discover what this place holds.
    -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
    --[X] Challenge Biedde to a spar… this will surely hurt.
    -[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
    --[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
    -[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
    --[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3
    -[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Garden of Mirrors, where the Mares attend the glassy flowers
    ---[X] Study the flowers
    --[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
    ---[X] Study the Beacon
    [X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...
    -[X] (AotL) Edge
    -[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
    -[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
    -[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
    -[X] Talk to Cheerilee
    -[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde
    [X] Plan Reminder, Uncle is gone
    -[X] [AOTL] Edge
    -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
    -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book Lantern 4 artifact
    -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
    -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament
    -[X] Uncle Steppes FO
    [X] Promises are Painful
    -[X] [AOTL] Edge
    -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps
    -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book and Manehattan book
    -[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 artifact
    -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
    -[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
    ---[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow. (Will also provide you with a Winter Sacrament)
    -[X] [MANSUS] The Summit
    --[X] [MANSUS] Ponder upon the Final Gate.
    [X] Plan Reminder, Light and Cold
    -[X] [AOTL] Edge
    -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
    -[X] [STUDY] (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehattan book
    -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
    -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament
    [X] Plan Reminder, Moth Superior
    -[X] [AOTL] Edge
    -[X] [KNOCK] Ashen Wastes
    -[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps FO
    -[X] [STUDY] Moth 5 book
    -[X] [STUDY] Lantern 4 artifact and Winter 4 artifact
    -[X] [STUDY] A Memory of the Path
    -[X] [ACTION] Biedde Sacrament
Click to expand...

About the legality of the current plans:
"Goodbye Uncle Steppes" looks fine.
Also, as a rule, I appreciate the studying option just listing things in order of priority. Makes it easier for everyone. If there are any vote slots remaining because you breezed through the books I can just open a quick vote to decide what to study next. And if you run out of study actions due to bad rolls we all know what was left undone.

"The Blade and the Crimson Quill" looks fine.
Remember Rarity stops being a minion if she reaches your Grail level though. Not a problem, just a reminder.

"Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon"
THIS PLAN CONTAINS A REGRETTABLE ACTION
Please take the Regrettable Action off the invisitext. I wanna make sure everyone knows what they are voting for.
Also, you have already spent your free reagent creation action on Cherenkolt. Please remove it.
Also, it's fine to specify you want to invoke a risen, but that's not really necessary. (All plans will auto-invoke one if you find a dead body. I cant fathom another use for dead bodies at this point of the quest).

Furthermore, to clarify, the Wolf Sacrament can be done with the Free Mansus Action. So that's not a problem either.

However, I'll clarify the write-in for "Get Your Hooves Dirty".

I will be honest. If there is public interest in it, I can be amenable for you to spend an entire personal action to ONLY participate in the assault on Tall Tale. But hear me out.
"Getting your hooves dirty" is a cumbersome task that involves you personally joining the Constables and Detectives for the full month. It means accompanying detectives all over Equestria, going to preparatory briefings with the assault teams, etc:
OurLadyOfWires said:
-[] [COMMISSIONER] Get your hoofs dirty. (Participate in the "Investigators" and "Constables" actions.)
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You don't have time to do that, even with a personal action. Because you will already be busy with your own Commissioner and Director actions.
However, since you can use a personal action to go on a short expedition, I can allow you to use an entire personal action to ONLY join the Constables in assaulting the Hive. I'll consider it as if you went on a "free" expedition at the same time and place that the assault takes place.
So, this write-in is fine. It will NOT be a "Get your hooves dirty" in the full extent of the word. But it can be a "join the assault" action.

Finally, I... guess you can check out Baldomare's beacon? It might not have the result you are expecting, but sure.
However, I will not accept the write-in for the Blank Plains. Pick a location to visit and commit to it.

"Follow the Plan" has one issue. You have already spent your free reagent creation action on Cherenkolt. Please remove it.
And see above for the Mansus write-ins.

"An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk into a bar..." seems fine.

"Reminder, Uncle is gone" seems fine.

"Promises are Painful" is fine, however-
THIS PLAN CONTAINS A REGRETTABLE ACTION
Please add a note about the Regrettable Action.
But note, I see it as "three study actions and one Mansus action". And the two Mansus actions is one for The Summit and one for The Wolf.

"Reminder, Light and Cold" seems fine.

"Reminder, Moth Superior" seems fine. And it has almost no difference to "Reminder, Light and Cold"

Finally, my major concern with the plans is whether they have "Four personal actions, one social action, one Mansus exploration and the AOTL pick". The AOTL pick has been exclusively Edge so far, so I wouldn't even mind if a plan did not include it.

Furthermore, most write-ins seem fine.

And if a plan has a Regrettable Action, please include it in all-caps on a visible location. I love the Wolf as much as the next person, but I will be the first to respect the fact most people don't want to vote for it.

Hope you are all doing well. Let me know if I can help with anything else.
 
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OurLadyOfWires said:
You can neglect your work to gain more personal AP. But you already dedicate yourself to the Bureau "as much as you can". So you can't join the Tall Tale assault simply because you will be performing your other Commissioner actions at the same time that the attack is being prepared and taking place.
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Hmm, noted.

Editing it into a personal expedition.
 
Shaper47 said:
Hmm, noted.

Editing it into a personal expedition.
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I have edited my rationale. Check out my previous edited message.

Joining the assault on Tall Tale is fine, but I want you all to know what you will NOT be getting. (As in, its not a perfect equivalent of "Getting your hooves dirty".)

Please see above, and thank you for your patience as I edited my post.
 
Also, before the question pops up.

If you use an entire action point to join just the assault on tall tale, that would technically work under the "Short Expedition" rationale, where the leader spends an action point and everyone else goes for free.

However, you will NOT be allowed to take other characters with you.

If we are being honest with each other, the only characters we would be interested in bringing along would be either the Names or Selene.
But in this case, Velvet is not yet ready to have a Name act within the Bureau (for several reasons, such as the Name's loyalty or the Bureau's lack of Lore knowledge, since you only just began teaching it the Lores).
And you are also NOT ready to have Selene make a public appearance in an event as big and chaotic as an assault. (And despite your authority, you wouldn't want to stretch it by bringing "Midnight Wind" as a "private consultant" who can fight better than everyone you know).

So, again, a personal action to just join the Tall Tale assault is fine. But in this particular instance I won't entertain you bringing other characters (or Lore artifacts) with you.
 
OurLadyOfWires said:
I have edited my rationale. Check out my previous edited message.
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Got it, edited in visiting Baldomare instead of visiting the Garden. It just fits with studying the Beacon.

I'm kinda surprised I'm the only one with plans to use our free Reagent creation action.
 
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DelightedOne said:
You should also take off the forge reagent, we already used it this turn to make Cherenkolt.
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Oh...

I completely missed it. Thank you very much!

All plans who use a free reagent creation action have a problem, yes. I'll edit my post to reflect that.

Thank you kindly!
 
At this point, I almost want to go for the Winter Sacrament even if we don't have the scraps to hit Winter 5 just so we never have to see yet another goddamn Wolf-Sacrament plan.

Edit: Y'know what. Screw it; it probably won't pick up any traction but whatever.

[X] Plan: A Conspiracy of Shouts
-[X] (AotL) Edge
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
-[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
-[X] Sacrament: Investigate the End
-[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde



[X] Plan: An Assassin, an Occultist, and a Teacher Walk Into a Bar...
-[X] (AotL) Edge
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
-[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
-[X] Talk to Cheerilee
-[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

[X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill
-[X] (AotL) Edge
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
-[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] Study (x2), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Moth 3 artifact, Manehattan book
-[X] Level up Rarity
-[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

Edit: Approval voting

[X] Plan: IM FROM PONYVILLE AND I SAY KILL EM ALL
 
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Hmmm so choices are between Rarity social and Steppes social. And then maybe there's room for that short expedition...

It would be really cool to see Velvet come at the Changelings with an Edge and Lantern influence. Terrifying for the changelings, of course.

It does also feel a bit cocky when we'll have the Edge sacrament lined up afterwards. The kind of cocky behaviour that has gotten us bitten before.

But we are carrying a very, very, very big sword with 69 Edge and commensurate Lantern...

It doesn't help that neither of the social options are that appealing. I'm curious what Steppes will leave us -- some fragment of the organization he ran for eons? -- but also can accept the path he's walking. And Rarity, poor Rarity, bit-farm Rarity, I guess the reroll would help you in that task and many others, but it feels hard to want to prioritize it.

Dilemmas dilemmas.

Actually, hm. It's the things you don't know that kill you, etc.

[X] Plan: Goodbye Uncle Steppes
 
spiderhellian said:
It does also feel a bit cocky when we'll have the Edge sacrament lined up afterwards. The kind of cocky behaviour that has gotten us bitten before
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Edge Sacrament is guaranteed success with full health beforehand though for that plan?

spiderhellian said:
It doesn't help that neither of the social options are that appealing
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Investigate what Baldomare has been doing in the Mansus then. It might get us a Lantern scrap afterall which would save us a Baldomare Name AP on a lesson.
 
[X] Plan: IM FROM PONYVILLE AND I SAY KILL EM ALL
-[X] (AotL) Edge
-[X] (Knock) Explore the Ashen Wastes
-[X] (Social) Fleeting Opportunity: Soft Sweeps
-[X] Study (2x), by priority: Moth 5 book, Lantern 4 artifact, Winter 4 artifact, Manehatten book
-[X] Join the Assault on Tall Tale
-[X] Sacrament: Challenge Biedde

Woo we got confirmation we can join the assault for no bits cost! Let's do that! We have a Splendor and a Resolution! We should totally spend our AP on something that makes use of those perfectly!

[X] Plan: The Blade and the Crimson Quill

spiderhellian said:
It does also feel a bit cocky when we'll have the Edge sacrament lined up afterwards. The kind of cocky behaviour that has gotten us bitten before.
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Let's be real, it's not even slightly in the same plane of existence as the Ruined Church 2 plan: Velvet wont be alone.
 
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[X] Follow the Plan

[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon



[X] Follow the Plan
-[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
-[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
--[X] Spoiled Milk
-[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
-[X] Invoke a Risen
-[X] [KNOCK] The Ashen Wastes
--[X] [KNOCK] Tarrying in the Wastes is always a poor idea… but there is no other way to discover what this place holds.
-[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
--[X] Challenge Biedde to a spar… this will surely hurt.
-[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
--[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
-[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
--[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3 (Manehatten book of finished early)
-[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Lodge of the Sage Pony. You may not be able to talk to Baldomare, but you surely can listen very well.
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
---[X] Study the Beacon



[X] Killing Changelings in the Name of the Moon
-[X] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [Edge]
-[X] The delights of subservience (Leash currently targeting: NO TARGET)
--[X] Spoiled Milk
-[X] [SOCIAL] Soft Sweeps Fleeting Action
-[X] Invoke a Risen
-[X] Learn of that bright Edge, that lives within us all
--[X] Be blessed by that Wound, which never ceases to grow (REGRETTABLE ACTION)
-[X] [LEARN] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is
--[X] Level 4 Lantern artifact then level 4 Winter artifact
-[X] [LEARN] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it!
--[X] Level 5 Moth Book x 3 (Manehatten book of finished early)
-[X] [MANSUS] The Blank Door
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit the Lodge of the Sage Pony. You may not be able to talk to Baldomare, but you surely can listen very well.
--[X] [MANSUS] Visit Baldomare's Beacon
---[X] Study the Beacon
-[X] [EXPEDITION] Sally out and lead an expedition the proto-hive of Tall Tale by yourself


[X] Promises are Painful


Just making sure the updated plans are clear
 
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spiderhellian said:
@OurLadyOfWires if we do go to the Tall Tale raid, does it happen before or after the duel with Biedde?

I worry about a wound ~eliminating our chances of victory, or wasting the AotL similarly.)
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

We've already been told that if we do both, Tall Tale will happen first and we'll get a vote on what to do if we get wounded, with the option of reassigning the biedde AP. It's REALLY not a concern.
 
Can we conserve the 3 AotL we'll have? That's pretty important to our chances of victory. @OurLadyOfWires I suppose?

Fluff-wise, it does make sense to have this huge AotL-calling scene right before the duel.

It does seem like going to Tall Tale sets up for some very interesting and exciting Velvet moments. That's a good argument...

[X] Plan: IM FROM PONYVILLE AND I SAY KILL EM ALL
 
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Here are some more concrete reasons to go to Tall Tale: There are two very good reasons. Loot, and Celestia.

-The Most Precious Treasure Hunt Ever (Selene's Expedition)
50 bits spent. Obtained alicorn moon princess daughter. Payoff priceless, at least worth 500 bits.
-Crepuscule Jailbreak
36 bits spent. Obtained the sun princess's personal student and main character of the show (us fucking it up afterwards wasn't the expedition's fault). Let's say that saving Twilight was worth at least 360 bits (We gave up 500 bits at the wedding just for a chance at saving her)
-Beneath the Royal Castle, pt. 1
15 bits spent. Knock 2 artifact, Heart 4 reagent. 100 bits for a Knock 2 artifact and 80 bits for a Heart 4 reagent for 180 bits of loot.
-Beneath the Royal Castle, pt. 2
63 bits spent. Level 4 artifact, level 4 reagent, 2 level 5 books obtained. Obviously more than 630 bits of value.
-The Grave on the Hill
20 bits spent. A freaking level 6 book obtained.
-Copper Secateur The Amazing Grail Pinata
Exploded into 700 bits worth of blackmail plus a Winter 4 artifact plus like 300 bits worth of assorted lower level artifacts.

Do you see the pattern? Expeditions frequently pay off an order of magnitude more than their cost in assorted loot. We were specifically offered the chance to Name-bomb the place for goodies and specifically warned about the constables getting rid of the expedition once we sent them. Now. Things have changed since then. The bureau is at max loyalty now, and are our personal cult.

This means that we really want to take our special one time GM offer of a free train ticket, during a turn where we have the MAX LEVEL influences in the PERFECT LORES, to personally guide our faithful in the concepts of "identifying stuff we'd recognize as sweet loot and funneling it to us personally before it gets registered as evidence and gets a paper trail the Sun Court can see". Our best case scenario is that we get a giant pile of 500+ bits worth of artifacts and books, and a message explicitly saying "From now on the faithful among your constables will funnel loot to you in future Expeditions they assault on your behalf". Even if we fail to get both of those things we're basically certain to get at least one of them.

The second reason: Celestia.

The changelings committed the worst tragedy in Esquestrian history when Celestia was already at her tipping point.

We then delayed assaulting the den of monsters that she hates more than anything for two whole months.

The Bureau has been performing well, and she's clearly not openly displeased with us yet. But simply assaulting Tall Tale with the constables this turn is "Below Expectations". At best it's "Barely Adequate"

Going personally and personally delivering the Wrath of the Sun is our only method available to rewind the costs in Celestia Patience we spent dealing with Copper by having the bureau massively overperform, and this accomplishes benefits for two goals, one long term and one short term.

The long term goal is that we can presume better performance equals slightly better Celestia Sanity on whatever secret track Our Lady of Wires is using to track Celestia's mood. It shows that her little ponies can fight the monsters without her and tilts her slightly towards "hand the throne to Cadance" rather than "Become the Cleansing Dawn"

The short term goal is that each bit of overperformance now is constable actions later than can be spent on self-dealing Cult Shenanigans. When we spent two full bureau turns on Copper we were spending from a bank account, and refilling that tank when gas is on sale means more to spend later on looting crystal skulls from ancient temples on the taxpayer dime.
 
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