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

Tenth Day of the Fifth Month 293 AC

"I was expecting them to all be draped in spider silk, mayhap some banner or heraldry. I'll admit the truth of the matter is more impressive..." Tyene whispers in Common, a tongue as strange to these lands as that of fiends and angels is to the world under the sun.

The Blackweb Principality lies atop a cluster of blue-grey pumice 'isles' floating some seven-hundred feet above the swirling surface of the Sea of Fire. The islands you can see range from the size of a large boulder to a veritable mountain some six miles long and four miles wide which not only bears the queen's keep but has also been hollowed out, the light of dozens of forge-fires glittering through rough-hewn openings in the stone. Between all these floating isles, riding some otherworldly updraft of wild magic, span slender dragonglass bridges keeping them all in place, a web indeed though one forged of stone and sorcery not silk.

The Golden Wind's longboat, which Yrten proclaimed he would scrap after this gambit for secrecy's sake, does not precisely make the appearance of a wealthy trader, though it does speak a certain measure of discretion. Your robes, rings, talismans, and other accountants bespeak of success well enough. Even Dark Sister preens lightly under the bright gazes of the salamanders, skilled smiths and worthy foes both.

"I'd not give it long before someone takes it into his head to rob you," Ser Richard grumbles.

"A poor merchant I would seem if no one so much as considered robbery," you shrug. "We won't be here long enough for anyone to gather in force..."

Alas on that you are mistaken, for there is one gathering of thugs already well organized on the docks and they fear no repercussion from taking what they want.

"'ey tin man, how's about you give me your fancy sword and use a weapon more your size!" A swaggering fire giant laughs, the sound recalling that of boulders rolling down hill. "Yeah, you." He points one finger of his left hand at Ser Richard, though most of the rest stay closed in a meaty fist.

The knight looks to you with that particular brand of resignation, of a man regretting not the fight he looks to be about to get into, but the mess sure to follow in its wake.

Obviously impatient that he had not been handed Oathkeeper yet, the giant draws its own four-yard-long dragonglass blade slowly from its scabbard, the jagged edge scraping painfully from its sheath in what he must fondly imagine is an intimidating gesture.


"I was not aware that there was any sort of tax to be paid in swords upon docking," you answer calmly. "It seems a strange thing to ask of honest traders to be sure."

"'S prob'ly stolen it is, ain't it mates?" the thug hollers towards two of his companions further along the docks.

One of them smiles to reveal a mouth fool of jagged broken teeth, but the second, some sort of mage from her bearing, though more likely a priest or unholy champion than a wizard from her armor, frowns in thought: "They look alright... alright by Lord Fajir."

"Four of them?" the first giant scoffs, mistakenly again, though he could perhaps have been forgiven this time as Dany had changed her scales from silver to black and was currently watching the scene from the folds of your cloak.

"They can be rich," the priestess countered, though it was clear she too was getting bored of being the voice of reason.

"If they be rich then they have t' be 'ard to keep their fancies, don't they?" the first giant says, obviously trying to be shrewd. "Any of you give me a good fight and I'll let ye live. How's about that?"

You bite back a dozen curses and one spell that would melt the flesh from his bones. If you refuse to take his offer this might turn into a brawl that could easily spiral out of control, burning all your plans of treachery to ash, but if you one among you does duel the giant, the victory might set the Efreeti legate on his guard. Best of all would be if one of your company seemed to struggle to win, but the one most skilled at deception here is... yourself, and fighting sword in hand is not what you are most skilled at.

What do you do?

[] Allow Ser Richard to answer the giant's challenge
-[] Write in tactics

[] Accept the challenge yourself
-[] Write in tactics

[] Write in

OOC: Everyone bar Rina is present, so you can also have Waymar or Tyene step forward, but Tyene's spells tend to be flashy and Waymar's sword is made of lightning and holy light so not the most subtle.