A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover

Third Day of the Fifth Month 293 AC

Bloodraven had shown an interest in the lotus spirits for their wisdom and the leaf-born for their martial spirit. Three of each would serve his purposes, either from among your current subjects, or new-make in the fleshforge. For now however you have other matters to occupy your thoughts, for the Last Greenseer is nothing if not patient.

Teaching at the Scholarum is a far cry indeed from your first tentative efforts struggling to bridge the gulf between your dream-gifted knowledge and Lya's clockwork-like understanding of the arcane. However, in one way at least it reminds you of that night drawing arcane seals again and again under the light of the moon: the expressions of the initiates as they finally grasp the significance of word and gesture both, flowing together as their will becomes manifest upon the world.

You strive to teach not merely the 'how' of sorcery, but that all-important 'why' so often misunderstood to the misfortune of both mages and those around them, though after a few attempts at building theoretical circumstances as Teana does you fall back on concrete examples, some of which you have lived and others remembered from days of old: from twisted 'revelations' of those who would serve fiends to the cold and distant cruelty of those who would seek power or knowledge at any cost. Thus you hope to impress upon the fledgling mages that no matter how high they may rise in their understanding of their art they will always be part of a society of their fellows and responsible for their actions, and by the same token that no matter what threats and blandishments are leveled against them they can trust that others will stand by them in the name of the dream you all share.

Alas that even as you work to aid in the studies of a new generation of mages, those selfsame dangers are abroad and loose in your kingdom, in Sorcerer's Deep itself. Garin recounts a plot by a minor devil seeking to spread horror among the youngest and most defenceless of the Deep's people: those without kith or kin to guard them.

And so it was that in a desperate hour one who had taken a lawmen's grey cloak found within herself the power of sorcery, born not of study but blood and the favor of the Old Gods. The woman, Anya by name, insisted that she was 'just a lawman and not a Companion' and so, inspired by the lessons you gave to the Scholarum, you revealed a little of your early days in Braavos when you were 'just a boy' hunting half-understood monsters.

The tale gave her the final push into accepting the offer to join the Inquisition, though a promotion into yet more danger seems like a poor reward on its own for the skill and determination that saw her through a weeks-long investigation, even after her colleagues had turned against her through a devil's machinations

How do you reward Anya for her instrumental role in overturning a diabolic plot in your very seat of power?

[] Publicly, let the people of Sorcerer's Deep have one more hero to look up to

[] Privately, a pouch full of gold goes a long way, and this is certainly a deed more worthy of such a reward than some tourney or victory in the arena

[] Write in

OOC: Your rolls for teaching were very middle of the road so I took the chance to weave in the result of @Azel's omake.

<<Previous

First day of the Fifth Month 293 AC

The door opened far more smoothly than the rusty hinges would have hinted at. Yet again, they were probably an illusion too. The Meraenos Manse hadn't suffered the passage of years with such indignity, as far the testimonies had offered. Behind the door a pale figure of a man received the group with a polite, if cold, welcome. He introduced himself as Perenor Meraenos, only surviving heir of the Meraenos family, and invited them inside the house.

"I apologize for the appearance of my holdings. I assure that it was not caused due to neglect on my part. It happened far too quickly since my dear Terena left us." His cold correctness managed to show weak signs of sadness, even some anger, as far as a corpse of a man could transmit emotions. The man was totally different from whatever information she had gathered. Instead of the young and healthy man there was a thin and slim figure, the shoulders slumped forwards, the cheekbones sharp from a lack of flesh. But even then, one could notice that this man used to have a stockier build in the past. He had been affected like the rest of the Manse, Mia thought.

"I assure you that we are here to investigate and reach a favorable conclusion for all parties that follow the law of the realm," she answered. She disliked being the one to talk, but she was the one with real authority here, while Bargor, despite being a more loyal friend than anyone she could find in the Inquisition, still had to be accepted into it. She would make sure that it happened, eventually.

"I have to say that I am surprised," Perenor said, his face still looking like a cadaver trying to pass off as someone alive, "to see so quickly the representatives of the Dragon King in these lands. In the past the only kind of authority we saw was the tax collector, so I can't say that I begrudge the change." The coldness was replaced by some fear as he made eye contact with Skinny, and the damned cat showed him back a smile of sharpened teeth. She decided to start with the important matters before the feline managed to ruin this whole thing.

"I'm afraid that we are here to ask you some questions, if you have the time."

"Of course, have a seat," he said as everyone exited the hallway and went into a big room with moderately decorated furniture that had begun rotting down. Mia used the opportunity to cast a spell to enable her to perceive the magic around, noticing a subtle taint of death magic hanging around Perenor. A curse, like the one seemingly hanging over this whole place.

"First I would need you to recount the events that lead to your wife's death."

"Yes. It all started a month before the tragedy. Terena was a kind woman, and always treated the servants with utmost respect. It was that way that she got close to one of the most recent incorporation to the staff. Merrel was his name, and he misinterpreted greatly my wife's kindness. He became obsessed with her, accosting her too often. I wish I had reacted earlier, for when I thought about intervening it was too late. He had choked her to death."

The tale had the air of an often told one, with no emotion that hanged to it. The signs of a prepared lie, if Mia had seen them. Yet, she needed him to keep talking to get the end of this business.

"How was he punished?"

"He was hanged. Fitting that he died the same way as her if you ask me"

"And how did the rest of the servants react to this?"

"They left. Apparently they were so shocked by this that they decided that they didn't want to live in this house at all. They liked Merrel, even after what he did." The first passionate sentiment that he showed here was spite. It could have been justified had he been telling the truth, but there had been no trace of the departed "servants". Everyone on this part of the hinterlands only paid lip service to the authority of the Dragon King, but the fact that slavery was still being practiced was an open secret.

Something must have shown on her face, because she found the pale face of the man glaring at her. Shit, she had to-

"We will require to see the body of the murderer," Bargor added unexpectedly. "He might have been responsible of similar crimes before arriving here."

Mia quickly followed the ruse. "It is not uncommon that the souls of those wicked enough curse a place after their death."

After a brief quizical look Perenor agreed with a weak smile, something that passed as enthusiasm for him.

The group was guided towards the garden of the Manse, Perenor guiding them towards paths that had not been covered by the quasi-real thorny bushes that plagued the fields since the tragedy. They arrived to a clearing with an old dead tree. Its leafless branches holding just a simple fruit hanging from them: the body of Merrel, swaying delicately in the soft breeze.

At least we can make his skull speak the truth, Mia thought as she walked towards the body.

Skinny sneezed. That was what they had taught him to do when he found something odd. She decided to call the power of her earrings to grant her the ability to pierce illusions and looked back at the tree.

There were a dozen bodies hung there, rotten ropes barely managing to lift them from the ground. She froze on the spot.

"They all knew."

They turned back at Perenor, who was looking at them. Bargor pointed his crossbow at him.

"They all knew how she cheated on me with that slave. They all had to die. Now… now she won't let me die."

Mia reached for her sword, ready to arrest the man, but he stared at her, eyes blackened from exhaustion, his face turning even grimmer than before:

"Let go."

"Wha-" Something grabbed her neck and pulled her upwards, until she was facing the body of Merrel, which opened its mouth and started to bite and claw at her as she choked.

Bargor aimed at the corpse, only to find it too likely to hit his companion instead of the unholy thing. He instead pointed at Perenor.

"Shoot me! Let me die!" he said, opening his arms wide, as if trying to attract the bolt to his heart.

"Fucking madmen," Bargor cursed, as he mentally marked the idiot as harmless and did the only thing he thought of at the moment to save Mia: he jumped and clung on to her. Quickly Skinny jumped and latched to his leg, and gravity pulled her down, as the grip from the cadaver was broken and the corpse ascended, hit the branch, and finally came crashing down from the other side, breaking its arms but somehow still managing to choke Mia with rope tied to both their necks.

Bargor aimed his crossbow at the prone corpse and fired, the bolt sticking across his mouth, then Skinny was upon it, ravaging the corpse and shaking it around until it broke apart, the rope slumping to the ground and letting Mia breathe.

Amid the curses of Perenor, which somehow had managed to get offended by not being murdered on the spot, Mia activated her belt of healing instinctively, and as she recovered she noticed Bargor eyeing a group of undead, their nooses still attached to their broken necks. They shambled and moaned as they slugged closer.

"I might not have enough bolts for all of them!"

"Let them group together and get closer" she said as she prepared. She would be damned if she didn't manage to pull this after studying in the Dragon's Scholarum. She calmed down, recited the scriptures she had practiced, and went through the gestures…

The group of corpses was engulfed in fire. Most collapsed, with the few remaining quickly put off of their misery by Skinny and Bargor.

"Why?"

Perenor had stopped his rant to stare at them, his boney features showing a mix of anger and confusion.

"Why won't you let death win? You can only suffer if you are alive!"

A flash of a painful memory raced through her mind. The painful stabs, the feeling of her body burning, tearing itself apart and bleeding at the same time. She grasped for her sword and put it against the man's throat.

"Perenor Meraenos, for consorting with the vile dead, practicing slavery, and the murder of Terena Lerath, through the authority conferred to me by the Inquisition to pursue the evils that besiege the realm in the name of King Viserys Targaryen, Archon of Tyrosh, King in the Stepstones, I hereby sentence you to…"

"YES!" The madman exclaimed, but he felt the sword lessening the pressure across its throat, and instead he felt a steel-toed boot to his bottom bits.

"… Imprisonment until further notice!" Mia finished as Perenor fell to his knees.

Bargor chuckled, "Nice one!"

"I'm surprised he still had a manhood to be hurt," she added. "Let's bind this moron and interrogate him for all that he knows. Maybe the dead here can shed some insight, too." she said, motioning to the now-definitely-dead remains.

He shuddered. "I don't envy the job of interrogating the dead."

"I do, we have to deal with the morons who are still alive."

Note: The group just fought a Hanged Man and managed to turn around the ambush due to physics. There were a bunch of normal zombies, too. Also in this update the awkwardness of being an intelligent Wizard with amazing ability to gather information but not many social skills.