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

[spiderhellian]

Things I do not think are possible:

• Helping our Twilight Sparkle. We have ruined our life, she would like nothing to do with us. The Princess of Love did what she could, and, well, we know where Twilight remains. I can see her joining Softy's grief group, I'll leave to you all to decide if that's better.
• Helping this Twilight Sparkle in a way that's not bringing her back to Equestria. Maybe another person we could save with friendship and supports. Not her. Not the person who has been seeking magic in a desperate quest, and who we just showed some. If we leave, she will never stop searching, and rightly so. We can't convince her otherwise, we can't give her a nudge and say that's enough, because it never would be for her,
• Bring this Twilight Sparkle back in a way other than the way we came. That is, supplanting the version of herself on the other side of the foggy mirror. A magic construct body? Let's get real. We barely know what's going on here, we barely know if we will be able to bring her back, bringing her back in a way that's maximally convenient and at all more difficult seems beyond anyone's capabilities, let alone ours.

Things I think we should do:

• Bring this Twilight Sparkle back with us. It's a horror. It's a mercy. God I hope it's not an AP sink in the future. But I think it's the right thing to do.

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

 

[Anjaxis]

[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)

 

[Greymere]

I don't know why people seem to have gotten it into their heads that bringing alt-Twilight back with us would even be possible, nevermind the question of whether or not we should, which imo is a very solid and resounding NO. Live with the consequences of our actions. Killing off real-Twilight by overwriting her with alt-Twilight, just to assuage our guilt, justifying it to ourselves as 'saving' Twilight, would be incredibly gross imo.

But regardless, we needed Knock 5 just to survive the trip, even with DoA opening the gate for us. I doubt that the requirements to cross back would be any less stringent.

Edit: Voting!

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

I remember how badly it went last time we tempted a Twilight with unknown magic and then fucked off for a while without explaining anything. Let's not repeat our mistakes here (and hopefully not making any new ones, like trying to overwrite our Twilight).

 

[Cochimetl]

A though: I see no reason why Starswirl's Mirror wouldn't exist in this world.
We can't bring Twilight back through the Foggy Mirror, and we can't go through Starswirl's Mirror ourselves without essentially abducting human!Velvet, but each going through back through the portal they actually can use would solve our problem nicely.
A problem would be that we don't know where the Mirror is located on the Equestrian side.

 

[Qwoptermain]

[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] This place has a library. Go take a look.
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
[X] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)

 

[Nevermort]

I don't know why people seem to have gotten it into their heads that bringing alt-Twilight back with us would even be possible, nevermind the question of whether or not we should, which imo is a very solid and resounding NO. Live with the consequences of our actions. Killing off real-Twilight by overwriting her with alt-Twilight, just to assuage our guilt, justifying it to ourselves as 'saving' Twilight, would be incredibly gross imo.

But regardless, we needed Knock 5 just to survive the trip, even with DoA opening the gate for us. I doubt that the requirements to cross back would be any less stringent.

Click to shrink...

I would think that Velvet will balk on killing real Twilight. But giving another body to Mirror Twilight or switching their minds so real Twilight stays in Mirror where she still has family are all possibilities.

 

[Maer]

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

 

[Steady Gaze]

I want to stay the course. We have 3 more actions here and I want to commit to this VN style. No distractions! Dreamer Twilight route!

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You know what? That was enough to convince me, haha. Well, actually, the QM did mention there are some routes that just peter out…

Some of the available choices will give you little to no reward, while some of the available choices are entire "routes" that, if followed to the end, will give you interesting choices in the end.

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…so since we've picked some that clearly have multiple steps, "exploring"/deviating from these could have us hit one of the dead-end routes. Like, the "cellphone" option I kind of suspect isn't a multi-stage route… for example, we have no ambitions to become Internet-famous, though the "synergies" argument is perhaps still valid.

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
EDIT: Actually, why not.
[X] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)

It would still be a shame to not have the time to talk to Rarity/Fluttershy, as I feel that seems to have the highest likelihood of letting us meet Sunset Shimmer, but we only have so much time. I can only hope we actually have the occasion to come back, or one of our other routes completes.

I don't know why people seem to have gotten it into their heads that bringing alt-Twilight back with us would even be possible

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It depends on how you interpret this…

There is nothing for this world, for the young and hopeful woman known as Twilight Sparkle.

But that's the thing. That is why you… quite literally ran away from her. That is why you left the room as soon as this thought occurred to you.

Because this is, you know, a very dangerous thought. However, it is also not one you could immediately dispel.

Because what if… what if somehow…

What if you brought this Twilight to your world?

Wouldn't she be so much happier there? Wouldn't her life finally make sense?

Wouldn't you be saving her?

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…is it Velvet's mind going on a guilt-fueled flight of fancy, or foreshadowing? If you ask me, part of any literary work is the shared dance of communication between the author and the reader. The author writes things that they believe will elicit the desired reactions from the reader. In a quest especially, there is the wink-and-nudge of being able to pick up what the QM is putting down. Consider: the QM knows we (collectively, not necessarily everyone) are Twilight-crazy and deeply wish to bring her back into the narrative somehow. Knowing this, they then write something outright suggesting we could bring her back with us. If the QM doesn't intend to communicate that it's possible, I would say that's basically a matador waving a big red flag in front of a bull to get it to bonk into a wall, which would also be fair play by the QM. But anyways, I am still inclined to believe this is deliberate foreshadowing.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

We can't bring Twilight back through the Foggy Mirror, and we can't go through Starswirl's Mirror ourselves without essentially abducting human!Velvet, but each going through back through the portal they actually can use would solve our problem nicely.

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Imagine how hard we could flex on Axe if we showed up via abducting our host body though. She would be so confused, it'd be hysterical.

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

Also screw it, Twilight, build us a Frangiclave detector please. We have a bonus objective to fulfill.

 

[des-pair-2]

[X] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

I don't like the path we are on, but it is one we have chosen, and I want us to be committed to it. Also, I'm throwing a vote in for the confidantes because I still want to talk to them.

 

[spiderhellian]

I don't know why people seem to have gotten it into their heads that bringing alt-Twilight back with us would even be possible, nevermind the question of whether or not we should, which imo is a very solid and resounding NO. Live with the consequences of our actions. Killing off real-Twilight by overwriting her with alt-Twilight, just to assuage our guilt, justifying it to ourselves as 'saving' Twilight, would be incredibly gross imo.

Click to shrink...

It's from the text! It's the wild idea that Velvet has, at the end of the scene with Twilight! I don't think it would have been presented like that if it was impossible, if it wasn't the end of the road we're walking with her.

Oh yeah, we're not saving our twilight. I hope no one is pretending that. We're killing her, and saving another.

 

[Greymere]

It's from the text! It's the wild idea that Velvet has, at the end of the scene with Twilight! I don't think it would have been presented like that if it was impossible, if it wasn't the end of the road we're walking with her.

Oh yeah, we're not saving our twilight. I hope no one is pretending that. We're killing her, and saving another.

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Idk. I read it as more of an intrusive thought. Which makes sense for Velvet to have, because the thread and therefore Velvet's inner monologue is loaded with regret over Twilight's current state.

 

[spiderhellian]

Idk. I read it as more of an intrusive thought. Which makes sense for Velvet to have, because the thread and therefore Velvet's inner monologue is loaded with regret over Twilight's current state.

Click to shrink...

I guess it's possible. But eh, you don't end the scene with that idea if you don't expect to follow up on it later.

And… it just fits too well. What we might want, what we might be offered.

 

[Limabot]

It's from the text! It's the wild idea that Velvet has, at the end of the scene with Twilight! I don't think it would have been presented like that if it was impossible, if it wasn't the end of the road we're walking with her.

Oh yeah, we're not saving our twilight. I hope no one is pretending that. We're killing her, and saving another.

Click to shrink...

That's not actually better, you realize. This just proves my point about it being more a move of convenience and/or punishing the OG-Twilight for being mad at us than actually fixing anything.

Cadence hasn't even seen Velvet's healed leg yet, and her learning its possible to erase otherwise chronic injuries may lead to something important.

 

[Greymere]

I guess it's possible. But eh, you don't end the scene with that idea if you don't expect to follow up on it later.

And… it just fits too well. What we might want, what we might be offered.

Click to shrink...

It can be followed up on in other ways. Such as Velvet coming to the realization that it's a really fucked up thing to consider that doesn't actually alleviate her regrets, and that if she actually wants to help Twilight, she's going to have to do it herself, not overwriting her with a replacement goldfish.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

A replacement goldfish who isn't rocking an SH Influence to properly integrate with its fellow fish to boot. Cadance and Shining at least will have some serious questions.

 

[Crystal Violet]

[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)

My opinion is that we have far too few actions to feel comfortable with, and while there are merits in debating whether to cut losses early or not, we are running out of time, after all.

 

[Shaper47]

God I hope it's not an AP sink in the future.

Click to shrink...

I'm not seeing any way it's not.

 

[Random Anon]

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

 

[Crystal Violet]

I'm not seeing any way it's not.

Click to shrink...

I don't believe that we can, in good conscience, give up on this line of inquiry. Not to mention, the sunk cost fallacy that applies in this case has some serious weighing of pros and cons. Honestly, from the way things are going, I'm afraid we'll just need to throw the dice and see how they land. Of course, I also see no way there won't be some very detailed discussion coming up on this topic, unless for some reason the votes say otherwise…

 

[Roaming_Guardian]

[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
[X] What is this "cellphone" all the kids are talking about? Why do you have one? And what is this "Internet" thing?
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)

 

[DelightedOne]

[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)

[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

Killing off real-Twilight by overwriting her with alt-Twilight, just to assuage our guilt, justifying it to ourselves as 'saving' Twilight, would be incredibly gross imo.



But regardless, we needed Knock 5 just to survive the trip, even with DoA opening the gate for us. I doubt that the requirements to cross back would be any less stringent.

Click to shrink...

I also don't believe we will be taking her home with us, my current theory is Mansus/Wake ressonance like the RA's where us befriending this Twilight will make our Twilight be... willing to talk to us. If we can "take" her in any way I think it will be more fusing two Twilights to get a new one than anything else.

Funny how the whole reason the mirror is foggy(in my opinion) is because of the time, because the portal only opens for 3 days every 30 moons.

 

[Arrkhon]

[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)
I feel that principals will lead to some illuminating knowledge, and that Twilight plotline really won't have a pleasant ending

 

[Pittauro]

[x] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)
[x] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[x] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
[x] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[x] What is this "cellphone" all the kids are talking about? Why do you have one? And what is this "Internet" thing?
[x] Your faith has been rewarded. And the medallion has made its way back to you, on a very unexpected pair of hands. (Further your search for Axe's… contact)

About Twilight... we might be able to make her "Happy" without bringing her to Equestria, you know?

If she could PROVE that magic/the lores exist, she wouldn't be the "crazy" girl that believes in superstition. and Velvet MIGHT be able to give her enough to PROVE she's right.

(Let us hope there's no Suppression Bureau in this world though).

I didn't notice there's a Principals option, and I'm actually MORE interested in it that Twilight this very turn.

So, I'm voting for those 6 picks, but If I had to pick ONLY 3, I'd probably go Axe-Principals-exploration

 

[BritBiscuit]

Well to add to the people contemplating Velvet's idle thought of bringing EQG!Twilight out of the Mirror world, whilst people have already pointed out that it is just a thought spawned by regret and a saviour complex and that she might not even be able to or survive it, there is another important consideration to be had if unlikely as it is that the end of the Twilight route causes a vote to that effect. There is a nationwide manhunt for Changelings, Celestia is near Dawnbreaker, Twilight was already replaced once before the Catastrophy and is currently crippled,isolated and traumatised, to bring in naive EQS!Twi whom hasn't the cultural background, the experience with magic and pony body shape and whom would immediatly cause people who know the original Twi to think she's an imposter due to her demeanor and intact horn. She wouldn't be able to live in Ponyville safely so she'd be all on her own in a strange new world that is getting more dangerous every day, she would also either be at risk of discovery in Ponyville or under Paranoia's torment like the rest of Equestria so I struggle to say it is moral to bring her over.

The idle thought Velvet had to do this is a really nice bit of characterisation and is good writing, whilst most readers see the line and understand from context and trends through the quest that this thought is bad whilst skimming through, to read further and take in the text it really puts into the spotlight some traits of Velvet that are always there but are sometimes obscured by her being an unreliable narrator and the scenarios she's in. These traits are specifically her more negative ones, her selfishness (she, even if unconsiously, wants Twilight back in some way, she sought an alternative out above even an alternate of her own husband just because of her regrets and the opportunity of a Twi without the weight of past interactions), her saviour complex (she needs to help her partly due to her regrets but partly due to...), her arrogance (she knows best, she will help you even if you don't know or want it, (through the update Twilight is shown to be uncomfortable in Velvet's prescence and doesn't want to interact until her curiosity is piqued, however Velvet intrudes into her private space with her secrets and corners her alone multiple times, in class and in the lab and due to her authority over her as a teacher she is mostly powerless to stop any of this, with this and the way she is interacting with people due the the grail influence, a reader may see these behaviours as preditory, and whilst our understanding of Velvets character and our control over her actions with the votes do mitigate this, it is still quite uncomftable.)) and lastly her growing casualness with utililising the Lores on innocent people ( whilst it isn't done malicously, malice is after all the intent to harm and we aren't aiming to do that, basically Grailbombing a young, socially isolated teen in a private space to get what she wants out of her, info or a friendship, is an example of Velvet's morals being influenced by her situation and the Lores, in my own opinion Grail influences of our current one's level used on mundane teenagers is a bit morally dubious due to both the nature of Grail causing desires to flare and also how such social power seems one step removed from being able to break and brainwash a person like Copper likely did with her Cult or even as a referance to where we are right now to act as the Dazzlings, but that is just my opinion on Grail and others may differ).

TLDR: Good job OurLadyOfWires on good characterisation and trends throughout the Quest.

BTW I know there is likely to be no consequences just for choosing to do Axe's Sacrement, all consequences are from events in it not from chosing to do it, but is time passing the same in Equestria as it is here? Would we just show up 3 days later and have a heartwarming scene of our family fussing over us or will we show up earlier due to the dreamlike nature of this world skipping time?

Final thoughts nice update.

 

[Shaper47]

skimming through, to read further and take in the text it really puts into the spotlight some traits of Velvet that are always there but are sometimes obscured by her being an unreliable narrator and the scenarios she's in. These traits are specifically her more negative ones

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I'd say it's more the threads traits then Velvet's.

There a disconnect between the two afterall.

 

[AuthorTransient]

This Python-ic Premise

Massive Effortpost with Snake Puns

Spoiler: Introduction

Spoiler: SHAMELESSLY STOLEN SHITPOST

As many of you may know, as an author, I'm something of an artist myself - which is to say I can sort of try to guess what is coming by examining how I would write such a scenario. And as many of you may also know, the best way to bungle whatever the hell is coming up is by making up a worse premise (see my earlier work), thereby causing the QM to SWERVE!!! SWERVE!!! due to pride or spite or whathaveyou, thereby averting that entire bad ending entirely (or at least allowing you to re-enact Leonardo DiCaprio pointing with a 'called it!') or worse (giving the QM ideas).

So let's get to it!

Spoiler: Mechanics

I'm sure I missed a few checks here and there and make some false positives, but first:

You were easily able to brush off any suspicion from your fellow faculty members, and you make sure to have the medallion in plain view at all times. Especially when you pass by a group of students, who all seem eager to look at you for some reason.

Click to shrink...

[Hiding Suspicion cd???]: Success

Something clicks inside your head, and you immediately stop your line of thinking. You also ignore the droves of students walking around you, making their way to the school's entrance, and instead you steady your breath.

Click to shrink...

[Keep Calm cd???]: Success

Still, you get the impression that you have two choices here. To either try to understand everything, or to understand nothing at all.

Click to shrink...

[Illuminate the Paths or Just Follow? cd???]: Success, Moth reroll invoked

After all, you know certain tricks that the usual dreamer does not.

Click to shrink...

Progress down this path will likely have more Moth, SH, and Knock checks.

You say all of that, with the softest smile and the smoothest of voices, both because you want her to be at ease and because it is true.

However, to your surprise…

Click to shrink...

[Making Headway cd???]: Minimum breakpoint reached - no suspicion.

So, you… keep an eye on her.

You make sure to track her, as she goes about her day. Following what classes she has, sensing that she apparently sits alone during lunch, and generally keeping track of her as the afternoon reaches its end.

Click to shrink...

[Find Her? cd???]: Success.

For a moment, you almost tell her a lie. For a moment, you almost tell her some smooth story about a janitor who was going around asking for a key after he found some locked door.

Click to shrink...

[Try Again? cd???]: Success, highest breakpoint reached.
Similar to the Fluttershy and Comet Feet check.

You searched, and you searched, and you searched.

And for several days, or perhaps even a week, you couldn't find anything that even remotely resembled your mark.

That is, until you found a clue.

Or perhaps, a clue found you?

It is hard to tell, with these sorts of things.

Click to shrink...

[Continue to help Axe: cd???]: Success, reroll invoked, no idea what breakpoint

[Dice rolls have been omitted]

Author's note: you will not be given any partial "reports" on progress, or any sort of explanatory "blurb" at the end of these updates, like you would usually see on a regular update. This is a strange world, so all you can do is navigate it to the best of your abilities.

Click to shrink...

Honestly I think this is more because us actually seeing the breakpoints would cause the thread to roil and bubble. I fully believe that Bird was planning to put the breakpoints until abruptly realizing how that sort of information would make the thread to go crazy and try to redo actions. Lol. Lmao. Until we get out from here, it's likely that any negative conditions (like Dread or Fascination) won't be revealed, despite adding their combined malus.

Spoiler: A Fog Gate; Someday the Dream will End

However, I see the similarity between Bloodborne's Hunter's Dream and this expedition beyond the Foggy Mirror. Bird has been repeatedly drawing attention that this is like a dream - thus, who is the dreamer?

Spoiler: Skeletons of a Simulation

/tg/ - Traditional Games

/tg/ is 4chan's imageboard for discussing traditional gaming, such as board games and tabletop RPGs.

suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com

Spoiler: A Matrix for Ants

Read all that? No? I'll just simplify to the point I want to make: I think this is a computer simulation / dream being ran using Ant Hardware. That makes Pittauro's comparisons to a scene transition and fast travel menu / transition points asp-t, honestly. Which also makes Bird's avoidance about later revisiting this place suspicious... and smug.

Spoiler: Reflection and Echoes: Ideas, Toxins, and Comprehension, Extrapolation, Consequences

Well, except for one thing.

And you have successfully completed a voyage to a place that is farther away than tomorrow's horizon.

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-Complete the Beyond the Map's Edge expedition, taking Baldomare as a companion.
-You must reach 4/4 scraps of Secret Histories before taking this action.

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(I couldn't find the mentions of Bird looking forward to (or was it very excited?) writing both of Baldomare's Sacrament and DoA's Sacrament.)
So maybe, just maybe, finishing our SH Sacraments will also allow us to visit here on our own time. But I also want to talk about something else.

The foggy mirror is a reflection. And the Mansus is something we visit when we sleep. What we do here matters - primarily to ourself.

You know what that line is. You have already crossed it, even.

You have already crossed it nine times.

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This is a horror quest, and sometimes that horror comes from the consequences of our actions. And I've stated before that I can sort of guesstimate how things can go. So, just like like how we can sort of extrapolate that there should be a hidden planet somewhere in space just from its influence on the forces of the universe, a blind person can extrapolate from a donut - just only from the shape of that donut - that there is an empty hole in the middle.

And a mirror means reflection.

And ideas are sometimes like toxin - once you've drank from it, no matter how much it burns, the scar remains.

You are Velvet Covers, and you have been… thinking.

At first, it was just an idle thought. A flight of fancy, or perhaps a vague mulling, but not really something you thought would take you anywhere.

Then, at some point, you thought that "there might be something more to this".

And then you started to think about it more and more, with greater focus and attention, until finally things just went downhill, as these kinds of thoughts are wont to do.

Now, you can't really think about anything else. Now, these thoughts consume your every waking moment, to the point you can't focus on anything other than this.

This sensation, or perhaps this storm you are going through, is oddly familiar. You haven't felt like this in several years now, but you are pretty sure the first time you felt this way was right after you met… Copper Secateur.

Click to shrink...

"Every adept reaches a point where thae understand thae're in too deep. A point where they no'ice they crossed a laen, and tha' for all tha' they cuid come back… they dinnae want to. Not anymore."

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"Et's a mental thresh'old. The point where ambition becomes stronger than good sense. An' tha's why et's called… a realization. Th' Branding Door dinnae require power or knowledge tae cross it, et only requires the commitment tae never step back from it," her voice says, and for all that her true self does not have shoulders, you swear you can hear her shrug. "Bo' then again, et's impossible tae reach tha' commitment without power and knowledge."

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"The first point o' no return for ev'ry adept is mental. Ye reach it when yer mind lets go o' th' desire tae return. Bo' this… this is more… This next step is a sacrifice. Et's self-mutilation. Et's the loss of the ability itself o' returnin'. Even if ye come tae regret yer decisions, even if ye burn away yer knowledge an' yer power an' yer realization, ye'll be incapable o' coming back."

Click to shrink...

I don't think Dream!Sparkle is so far gone yet - but if we keep progressing her path with the information we currently have - I think it is very likely that we'll teach her some of the Lores. And I think that might be very, very dangerous.

Spoiler: Uh Oh! There's a Bug: Two Unique Identifiers in the Same Place

Furthermore, your unconscious and writhing body has been unceremoniously tossed through the Foggy Mirror.

Click to shrink...

We don't have a separate body in our homeworld. Which is to say, it's not a consciousness transfer - it's a full-blown portal fantasy isekai. Now, if we inadvertently teach Dream!Sparkle the Lores like poison in her veins, and then want to bring her back... maybe she'll zero sum, maybe they'll pop each other, maybe nothing bad will happen - we just don't know! I just think we should be more cautious, that's all. Figure out more about the world we are currently in before progressing such a dangerous action!

Sometimes I feel like the thread finds a hole and then immediately leaps for it - but I've got no veto, only votes and posts. Can't we at least research more before dooming another version of Twilight Sparkle? What the hay is wrong with several of you! There's literally nothing rushing us right now, couldn't we just explore the Internet!!!!

Spoiler: An Honest Truth

Applejack is the Bearer of Honesty, and what breaks a false reality but truth?

Spoiler: Only an honest death can cure you now

Spoiler: In Summary

• This might be a dream that the Mother of Ants is playing like a dating sim
• Could we not rush for the Twilight Sparkle option until we have more info that doing so wouldn't doom her again?
• Would Baldomare's Sacrament allow us to visit this place again?
• Does this make the Daughter of Axes the Orphan of Kos?

...quicksaving...

 

[Spacemurica]

[X] You have found limits, you have found walls. Now it is time to look for doors and tunnels. (Follow up on exploring this place)
[X] "Miss Sparkle? It's about the project we discussed. I have a... proposal, on how to advance it. Could you see me after class?" (Follow up on Twilight Sparkle)
[X] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)
[X] "Is there anything on your mind, Miss Jack?" (Approach Applejack)

I like the idea that the element of Honesty might help us understand this dream world.

 

[Pittauro]

Honestly I think this is more because us actually seeing the breakpoints would cause the thread to roil and bubble. I fully believe that Bird was planning to put the breakpoints until abruptly realizing how that sort of information would make the thread to go crazy and try to redo actions. Lol. Lmao. Until we get out from here, it's likely that any negative conditions (like Dread or Fascination) won't be revealed, despite adding their combined malus.

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I wouldn't assume things about Dread, Fascination and the like. Then again it's very possible they just wouldn't become active until after.

I mean, last time Fascination only became active the turn AFTER we got it anyway. It's a gameplay simplification.

Read all that? No? I'll just simplify to the point I want to make: I think this is a computer simulation / dream being ran using Ant Hardware. That makes Pittauro's comparisons to a scene transition and fast travel menu / transition points asp-t, honestly. Which also makes Bird's avoidance about later revisiting this place suspicious... and smug.

Click to shrink...

I've skimmed that a bit. I'm more leaning towards this being just a metaphysical reflection, kinda like the House of the Moon, and the "less real" parts are basically what'd beyond the reflected part.

I'm wondering, though... we KNOW that, to come here, Velvet had to get Knock 5 and basically possess her "reflection".

Does that mean we CAN'T bring back physical objects?

Then again, the Mansus is also technically a dream-realm, and we CAN bring artifacts and reagents in and out of it. We very explicitly got some reagents from the Ruined Church, for example. So... maybe we COULD bring back lore-related stuff, but not, say, a conventional smartphone (which might very well just not worth outside this realm anyway simply because the science on which it's based either does NOT work in Equestria, or it just works because of dream-logic.

(I couldn't find the mentions of Bird looking forward to (or was it very excited?) writing both of Baldomare's Sacrament and DoA's Sacrament.)
So maybe, just maybe, finishing our SH Sacraments will also allow us to visit here on our own time. But I also want to talk about something else.

The foggy mirror is a reflection. And the Mansus is something we visit when we sleep. What we do here matters - primarily to ourself.

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I remember Bird mentioning multiple times he really REALLY wanted to write Axe's Sacrament. I don't remember any such comment on Baldomare's, but then again we can get both SH Sacrament, so that was probably not a concern for him.

I don't think Dream!Sparkle is so far gone yet - but if we keep progressing her path with the information we currently have - I think it is very likely that we'll teach her some of the Lores. And I think that might be very, very dangerous.

Click to shrink...

true. the lores are dangerous. can people from this realm even go into the Mansus (or the local equivalent) though? Could she discover the rituals that way? Would she end up in OUR Mansus?

I wouldn't want this Twilight learning about the zombie-summon from the wolf-area. I don't want ANYONE to learn of it, really.

• This might be a dream that the Mother of Ants is playing like a dating sim
• Could we not rush for the Twilight Sparkle option until we have more info that doing so wouldn't doom her again?
• Would Baldomare's Sacrament allow us to visit this place again?
• Does this make the Daughter of Axes the Orphan of Kos?

Click to shrink...

ah, THAT'S what you meant by "Ant-software". I didn't catch the reference.

Personally I don't expect that Baldomare's ability would allow us to come here, but it COULD make sense.

 

[Solace2117]

Honestly I don't really mind the Twilight options, I just wish we weren't rushing into them first thing. I think it would have been to wait till we have a better feel of the place and people.