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

Wait, if Selenes knock is level 4 and unlocked, does she also have that switch in her head Velvet has to enter the mansus from the dream realm? Has she already accidentally entered the mansus in dream by poking it?
 
I would like to remind all and sundry that we have an appointment scheduled with Comet Feet regarding The Master and his involvement in yon tree's scheme. Since the context of the Fleeting Opportunity was that ignoring it would indicate tactic approval, this is among other things us indicating disapproval.

Now, OurLadyOfWires has stated that an active influence will never result in bad things happening, it's still a flavor choice and even more importantly it could certainly mean good things happen. I'm thinking of breakpoints specifically, Edge since this is Comet, perhaps an opportunity to prove our sincerity or convince him or whatever else. Having the influence on might well be the difference between a middling result and an excellent one, either way it literally cannot make things worse.
I mean, walking up to him with a max Edge influence would be practically telling him either that we are not fucking around and are prepared to fight him if he pulls shit like that or that we would like to remind him that we are also one dead pony short of reaching the Edge sacrament and we are seriously considering at this point.

Given that he won't know what this is about until we talk to him, his likely first assumption would be that we are finally at a point where we need to kill him to keep advancing in Edge (since while he might sense that we summoned an Edge names due to the town vibes changing, he shouldn't know that Names giving sacraments are an option yet).
 
Given that he won't know what this is about until we talk to him, his likely first assumption would be that we are finally at a point where we need to kill him to keep advancing in Edge
It could also be symbolic. Like how he gave up the chance to kill Shining and earn his sacrament, we're choosing not to kill him to earn ours.
 
Wait, if Selenes knock is level 4 and unlocked, does she also have that switch in her head Velvet has to enter the mansus from the dream realm? Has she already accidentally entered the mansus in dream by poking it?
Her Knock is three, not four, and no. That was Velvet's personal Realization. Selene's Knock realization is apparently entering the dreams of other ponies instead.
 
With the talk of Velvet Covers as an Edge Hour a couple pages back, here is my own interpretation of what an Hour themed after her might look like, modeled after osmosis from this thread and wiki pages:

VI - The Dolls in Velvet

[Card visual - a collection of many children's toys, some only slightly different from each other and others monstrously so, bound into a patchwork quilt of velvet, needles, and flesh that bisects and smothers certain toys]

SECRET HISTORIES/MOTH/HEART

"We call upon the Dolls in Velvet.
That which stitches but does not combine.
Those who weave against themselves and back.
That whose will is traced along the holes left behind."

An Hour that seeks her treasures from both roads not taken. To cling onto and preserve them as sacred. But to stitch is to skewer both self and other.

(The third aspect was a tossup, I just ended up choosing one part of Velvet Covers' motivations to lean into over the others. If she ever ends up killing an Outsider I would consider turning it into Edge.)
 
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We already have someone doing the AotL, so it's better to have Biedde do something more specialized to his skill set.

[X] [BIEDDE] Send somepony to locate, or spy on, this opponent (Copper Secateur)
 
And to be fair while he's not a bad spy, exactly, Biedde's not the best at information gathering. Well, unless he does what he just did to Steppes, but that's super overt for a spy. He'll probably manage to stay hidden, if only because he'll murder anyone that catches him—and having at least some Moth—but neither of his Lores are really built to gather information directly.

Well, maybe if he kidnaps someone important and turns his Edge towards intimidating interrogation… unless +65 Moth is enough to get him into Copper's base personally and go completely unnoticed anyways.
 
[X] [BIEDDE] Send somepony to locate, or spy on, this opponent (Copper Secateur)
"Except for Steppes, if he is involved."
We don't know about that IC so we can't ask for that. There's a multitude of reason for why we should scout before throwing Names at the problem and one of them is how much collateral will we have to deal with. The scenario is way out there I admit but if we send them in with those instructions we're liable to have a couple of burnt down neighbourhoods on our hands and the Bureau on our tail.
 
> a couple burnt down neighborhoods

Feeling optimistic are we? :V

No, seriously, if we send four Names out to root out what is… probably a fairly large organization, since they did subsume a fair few gangs, absorbed some remnants from Ponyville's branch IIRC, and also has a much bigger population than said branch had to hide in, then there is probably going to be much greater consequences than that unless we give limits on the damage allowable.
 
[X] [BIEDDE] Send somepony to locate, or spy on, this opponent (Copper Secateur)
[X] [BIEDDE] Ask for an Influence of Edge.
 
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(since while he might sense that we summoned an Edge names due to the town vibes changing, he shouldn't know that Names giving sacraments are an option yet).
I really don't think Comet or anyone else we haven't told, or has the senses to notice, knows about the summoning. The Biedde chapter specifically states Velvet felt no change in the World when the ritual was completed unlike every other Name we called.

From his perspective we just rocked up with a Max Edge Influence (you guys do remember how Comet got his right?) and an AotL for Hours know what violent reason.
None of our votes involve him doing an AotL?
No we're doing the AotL.
Well if we send Marinette with them then she'd presumably try and keep the collateral to a minimum as we'd too but at the same time it's Marinette.
 
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Well if we send Marinette with them then she'd presumably try and keep the collateral to a minimum as we'd too but at the same time it's Marinette.
Eh, sort of? I mean, Old Intelligence specifies her being alone and in a social situation. Also that she would do "what she thinks is best based on her knowledge of and loyalty to us."

I'm not really looking to get into an argument on her understanding of what Velvet wants right now, but we haven't really… earned her Loyalty much yet. And that's assuming the other requirements don't just render the question moot. Biedde would probably be the one making tactical decisions, and I have no idea what he might do with a kill team of Names and indiscriminate orders.
 
Eh, sort of? I mean, Old Intelligence specifies her being alone and in a social situation. Also that she would do "what she thinks is best based on her knowledge of and loyalty to us."
Ah I had thought it was a broader thing. That she could sub in for us in any situation and make decisions based on her familiarity and loyalty to us.

Without that yeah it's way worse.
 
Ah I had thought it was a broader thing. That she could sub in for us in any situation and make decisions based on her familiarity and loyalty to us.

Without that yeah it's way worse.
Nah, she's primarily social. Granted, it was implied in that one particularly horrifying omake that, theoretically, if we sent her completely alone and she did manage to capture Copper, she might have a "social" choice of what to do with her. Presumably that's not a completely unique circumstance.

But for the most part? She's meant to be used socially, and that's what her abilities tend towards. Even the ability to replace Velvet on actions is specifically social based.
 
...but beyond all of that I really don't think the Hour of duty would take a Name as a slave. No I think Biedde is either a willing slave (as is almost every Name really, it's just the Colonel's bindings are most apparent and most tight) of the Colonel or merely a slave to his nature/duty. Which, again, every Name is.
Someone forgot about Kanishk. The Colonel is definitely willing to conscript others into his service, willing or not.
 
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[X] [BIEDDE] Send somepony to locate, or spy on, this opponent (Copper Secateur)
 
He is what is left.
What's left after a knife is honed down to a clean edge.
What's left after all the impurities in a metal have been worked away.
What is left after everything that does not matter is stripped away.

A weapon cannot cut cleanly if it is attached to something. A tool cannot fulfill it's purpose if it is left unused. It is...
He is...

Smooth is the wrong word
But it's the closest I can get.
"Purposeful". He has his purpose and he is full of it, so much so that he can't help but express that purpose in all he does. For a Name is his principles moreso than he is anything else.

His name is a homonym for 'Blade'. He is literally an implement for his employer. A very sharp and even inevitable implement - but a tool, nonetheless.

If that employer wants him to murk Mareinette, he would probably try. Mareinette is a monster, after all. Actually, just thinking about it gave me chills - haha, no.

[X] [BIEDDE] Ask for an Influence of Edge.
 
...are you talking about Velvet's AotL? Because I thought we were talking about Biedde actions.
We are but when people talk about not taking the Influence for the AotL they mean dropping Biedde's Influence in favour of only relying on our AotL.
Someone forgot about Kanishk. The Colonel is definitely willing to conscript others into his service, willing or not.
I read that as him taking Kanishk to enforce a punishment, Kanishk was most likely trying to become a Grail Name (and probably would have succeeded if the Colonel's actions are any indication) and the Chiliarch got to him first for the oath breaking. Also, as far as I'm aware it doesn't say that Kanishk was made a Name, only that he was pressed into service. That could be as a spirit or just kept as a Long/whatever he was before.

And it's not like this is a first, Ghirbi got the same treatment and is either a Name of the Horned Axe (who had an Edge aspect once) or the Forge of Days.

Regardless I feel the point is moot because Biedde doesn't read as an unwilling Slave
 
To be entirely fair, I think even Velvet didn't know Ponies had gods until she passed… one of the Doors. The first or second, I can't remember which. Copper and Windy have probably passed those by now, but not any others if I had to bet.
second door, I think. I remember the reveal being when he first saw all the broken stuff in the Mansus, and that was after we got the Brand and reached the first actually damaged area, the Shattered Stairways
Nothing relevant, other than the vague knowledge that they exist.

Equestria is REALLY isolated, isn't it?

I suppose Celestia did all of the foreign diplomacy on her own... and that most countries stayed away for sun-sized reasons.

Not really.

I mean. Trying to scry "beeg moth" is already a fool's errand to begin with. And then there is the fact that, if such a thing exists, it would probably be in the Mansus which can't be scryed. Finally there is the matter of "it costs AP and Velvet is stingy with those" :V

not that I expected anything else, but it's STILL disappointing!

...on second thought, IF removing the Scar is not enough to change Velvet enough to affect the requirements for her personal Moth and Grail, then (IF itìs not quest end) reaching the Glory and becoming a Long might be.



Judging by your finances, I completely agree. You really could use it.

gee, thank you for the very enlightening and helpful comment!

Having your followers reach Lore level 5 is something I am avoiding as of this moment. I have the prerequisites for it in mind, but now that we have Jade at Level 4 I will ask for a bit longer before I decide on the mechanism for it.

And about Comet Feet, that would be between him and Biedde. He, uh, isn't your follower remember? :V

Well, we can work on Rarity, Fluttershy, Selene/Family, Cadance, and maybe even Shining first.

and about Comet... well, he's FLUTTERSHY's follower, and seeing how SHE is our follower, by the transitive property...

So, he will usually ask questions. Because if he states something, that means he has already decided and there is no turning back.
He never makes requests, because he cannot be denied.
Ponies around him are more polite, because something about him just makes the idea that "the rules are the rules" make sense.

An interesting characters. Inevitable when he decides, which is why he is very careful about WHEN he states such decisions.

Of course, he is still a pony-turned-monster from an ancient era. And like any other name, he was a pony once, and he isn't totally a pony anymore.

Still, yes basically. Your Biedde was too scary, because Biedde doesn't need to be scary. He is the single most dangerous character we have met, even when we take an enraged Celestia into account.

So there is no need for him to push his weight around.

In a way, if we became a Long after passing the Tricuspid, we might be better off than the Names.

After all, Velvet would be getting Glory for herself WITHOUT first having to swore herself to a God. That might make her the freest immortal to ever live, considering even Long in ancient times needed to swore themselves to an Hour, OR accept their exile to Port Noon...

...uh. Do you think Port Noon still exists and STILL has Longs living in it?

Also yeah, it's crazy that he's very likely to win against Celestia EVEN with the difference in health pool!

Her Knock is three, not four, and no. That was Velvet's personal Realization. Selene's Knock realization is apparently entering the dreams of other ponies instead.

well, to be able to find ANYONE in a Dream, no matter where they are. It's probably an upgrade over her previous abilities, even.

And to be fair while he's not a bad spy, exactly, Biedde's not the best at information gathering. Well, unless he does what he just did to Steppes, but that's super overt for a spy. He'll probably manage to stay hidden, if only because he'll murder anyone that catches him—and having at least some Moth—but neither of his Lores are really built to gather information directly.

Well, maybe if he kidnaps someone important and turns his Edge towards intimidating interrogation… unless +65 Moth is enough to get him into Copper's base personally and go completely unnoticed anyways.

more of a +45 when not using a Moth Influence, but yeah, Biedde is better used as an Assassin and Muscle, but IF we send him we should expect bodies.
 
+45 (+65 with the Influence) is better than us, hell it's better then anyone else we can throw at the task too (unless this counts as a expedition for the purpose of DoA's trait which would mean she beats him by a measly +5). Short of getting a Moth 5 summon with a general bonus of at least 20 we aren't matching that and CS' highest Moth summon was Level 4. Plus he's probably better at the whole sneaking thing in the narrative sense too. Marinette might do a better job if Grail applies heavily to infiltrating the cult (it probably does) and the idea was raised but you guys dismissed it.
 
...on second thought, IF removing the Scar is not enough to change Velvet enough to affect the requirements for her personal Moth and Grail, then (IF itìs not quest end) reaching the Glory and becoming a Long might be.
Maybe there's an alt. Sacrament source in the House of the Moon. It is supposed to be the Mansus as it once was, and the reflections of dead immortals seem to like finding their way there :V

Plus, the moon is apparently still alive enough that Luna had to convince it to give up a chunk of moon rock...
 
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So we're pretty sure that SiS came back yeah? Then why isn't the House of the Moon empty? When the Second Dawn comes those hiding within were supposed to leave no? And yet the Master expects to be able to flip the two Houses and get the old Hours back when dead Hours explicitly go to Nowhere and the only Hour confirmed to be in the House of the Moon is the Wheel (and the Meniscate herself I suppose). Sooooooooo what if her expectations were wrong? As in what if the only thing flipping the House does is bring back the old shape of the Mansus thus once more opening the path to the Glory?

Unlikely yes but the...I suppose inconsistency must be raised.
 
So we're pretty sure that SiS came back yeah? Then why isn't the House of the Moon empty? When the Second Dawn comes those hiding within were supposed to leave no? And yet the Master expects to be able to flip the two Houses and get the old Hours back when dead Hours explicitly go to Nowhere and the only Hour confirmed to be in the House of the Moon is the Wheel (and the Meniscate herself I suppose). Sooooooooo what if her expectations were wrong? As in what if the only thing flipping the House does is bring back the old shape of the Mansus thus once more opening the path to the Glory?
Look, I'm pretty sure the Master was lying about the details of the victories(Shocking, I know), sure the results are the same but the Master made it seem that Glory was in reach when it was locked so it is a safe bet to think she was misleading everyone on purpose and the Hows of the Endings are more complicated than that.

So the Moon may have a different method of restoring the Mansus or the Hours that come back are the Stone ones.
 
I still think the right decision is having Biedde search Canterlot for the outsider.
It's progress. Meaningful progress.

An Influence might be helpful, but searching will be.
 
Have ... not really been successful in keeping up with the thread, but it's a work in progress. I'll get there eventually, I hope.
[X] [BIEDDE] Ask for an Influence of Edge.
To the best of my knowledge, that pushes us to Edge 4?
 
To the best of my knowledge, that pushes us to Edge 4?
We're already Edge 4, it pushes us to the threshold of Edge 5.

@OurLadyOfWires just to check, if "spy on Copper wins" would we need to make sure to write in a version that specifically tells Biedde to try and find out if she has our manuscripts or would you just take it into account as "one of the things Velvet would be interested in" generally?
 

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