- Location
- United States
I'm a bit sad we'll never be able to have our own wish machine.
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
-
- Tags
- a song of ice and fire a sword without a hilt d&d 3.5 dungeons & dragons 100% high octane dragon fuel ave corvidae battle action dragon diplomacy best sister bureaucromancy delicious soul-stuff dragon dreams come true dragon ta'veren greatest uncle hubris is a coward's word in defiance of gods and men mammon's folly mutually assured mage's disjunction qm murderhobo top tier coatl
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
I'm positive that we'll get at least a few Wishes in course of this campaign nonetheless, as signs of Goodwill from Genie empires if nothing else.I'm a bit sad we'll never be able to have our own wish machine.
...Have we had actual consensus on what to wish for next?
I'm pretty sure everyone on Companions could be given an extra feat or two.
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- Location
- Argentina
I am more skeptical about recruiting Efreeti which have not been betrayed and done unspeakable and incredibly taboo things to by their own civilization.
So these ones are, at least, more succeptible to"slavery is bad, we will value you as you should be valued" arguments.
Winning vote
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Canon Omake: Wandering Wisdom's Words
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Wandering Wisdom's Words
As Headmistress of the Scholarum Teana on a daily basis had much paperwork to go through that ranged from current curriculum, research projects of apprentices, reports to King and administrations of number, type and progress of mages to even the odd and simple things like a report that there was a minor summon on the loose in Shadow Tower. Nothing overly dangerous, simply some lizard from Plane of Earth with no real intelligence, but the apprentice involved would still be punished through hard cleaning labor of lab equipment without magic to stress the importance of proper summoning protection. Thankfully she not only had a tiny wyrm assistant to help get through said paperwork but even copies of herself spawned from her shadow.
She knew that lots of clerks would kill for simply powers to duplicate themselves up to even the King himself.
The point was that after her relatively short term of Headmistress of one of the best known, though granted one of few, places of magical learning few things really surprised her. And fewer things pleasantly surprised her.
So when she received a rather worn looking missive with the seal of the Scholarum on it and the personal signature of one of her first students she raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Said student was one she hadn't heard back from since he first went on his Journey of Wisdom after the first graduating class! In all honesty after so long without word back from him she assumed him dead considering his decision of the direction his Journey would take him.
Namely far east through the Dothraki Sea.
Assuming the missive was truly from him then she wondered what he had decided to report back after all this time. While it was her duty to teach others and keep them alive if possible once they graduated one mage could take up nearly any profession or path in life as long as they still held loyalty to greater Empire. The King was not about limiting one's potential after all unless it was truly harmful to others.
Considering the obvious chaos and danger of region Teana had nearly denied him on moral grounds of not wanting to send him to his death alone. However, she had caved underneath his drive and now this message would hopefully banish her doubts.
She broke the seal and began reading.
Dear Headmistress Teana,
I do hope this missive finds itself to you in a relatively timely manner and in good health. We really must develop a spell of some kind that allows for the instant sending of letters the same way we can send quick mental messages... as a matter of fact a spell that can transpose ones thoughts and even images onto parchment would save much time and need for-! I'm getting distracted.
You always did say my mind wandered as easily as much as my steps.
Teana couldn't help but snort at that.
Anyway, as I was saying I hope my message has reached you successfully since I have so much to share! After beginning my Journey of Wisdom to the far east, to your understandable concern, I traveled along the southern portion of Dothraki Sea to avoid most of the restless dead. I traveled along the Demon Road for some time after I took a ship from the Deep to Volantis, stopping by Mantarys to resupply and interact in people for what I was sure was going to be my last safe stop in my journey.
I would eventually arrive in Meereen, hiding my loyalty and status to the King of course, and outright avoided the city since other travelers on road have told rather disturbing news of city that you likely know more about than me. What I am aware of is since the King has practically gutted slave trade west of Slaver's Bay beyond land routes to settlements not loyal to him, a much more costly and not nearly as profitable affair compared to former Free Cities who would buy more slaves then there were actual citizens, they have been focusing their slaving business in east compared to before.
A fact of which leaves me conflicted, despite doing so much good in eliminating slaving in our own boarders I do hope the King sees sense in doing same in Slaver's Bay at some point in future. While I am not so naive to assume doing so will rid world of practice it would at least get rid of one of serious organizers of it.
Despite those words being rooted in his Braavosi upbringing Teana couldn't help but agree a bit, of course he wouldn't be aware of King's current efforts regarding region already.
Thankfully my status as a self-proclaimed trader and traveling with a trading caravan kept me mostly out of harms way from "lawful" slavers. Outside of that my magic dissuaded many others, man or not.
I would later find my way the land of Lhazar and it's people.
Lovely and kind people if understandably skittish to outsiders they don't know. My only complaint is their over passivity to those that surround their lands and have been slaving them for thousands of years! Their only saving grace is fact whole land has remained theirs do to "keep stock breeding" for others. Sadly, as mentioned before, Slaver's Bay has been increasing their raids into the land and people, same with surviving Dothraki.
I understand they are a peaceful people but you would think after countless of generations of being attacked they would grow a backbone and at least defend themselves! The shepherds I'm aware of see the value of killing or at least driving off the wolf or lion preying on their herds rather than just running away.
My personal views aside their culture and history was a delight to study if not my main focus. If I could find more than rumors about half-man half-deer folk I would have stayed longer. Sadly I had no such luck and eventually moved on.
Teana had also heard rumors like that from the King's Companions during their own visit to the Lhazareen, including meeting a powerful magic shadowbinder and member of their faith.
She wouldn't be surprised if true given those that live in Deep now.
I continued my travels along the Stone Road and even from a distance I could see the Bone Mountains. It is easy to see how they would get their name considering their height and length, looking like the very bones of world itself and ancient looking beyond measure compared to Painted Mountains if not as beautiful looking in the same way.
I passed through the ruined cities of both Adakhakileki and later Vaes Jini, originally known as Yinishar, while traveling on the Stone Road and there was not thankfully not much to say about them. I avoided Adakhakileki like the plague since last thing I wanted was investigating a dead city the Dothraki language calls "The Cannibals" given recent troubles with undead, though I can confirm that the "Poison Sea" is simply a large salty lake that the Dothraki named that way since their horses cannot drink from it.
Nothing liberal applications of basic magic can't make drinkable, something the caravan I was traveling with found most helpful considering our location next to the Red Waste.
Before going through the pass through the Bone Mountains we stopped by the equally ruined Yinishar, which may or may not have been originally apart of the Patrimony of Hyrkoon, and while the city itself has not be lived in for centuries the foothills of the mountains where home to several villages of goat herders. Makes sense in hindsight that the people who once lived in the city the Dothraki named the "City of Goats" would escape into the nearby mountains where their horses would be next to worthless in the craggy terrain. While trading and talking with herders it was a wonderful experience to hear their tales and learn about their culture, unlike the Lhazareen their method of running around with herds into the mountains is actually effective and they have a number of pacts with clans that live in deeper parts of range for equal protection from outsiders. They only truly leave mountains for foothills for the greater gazing potential for their goats and when their spotters see no danger, or in our case see passing traders they wish to do business with.
Once our business was done we continued along Stone Road and through the mountain pass itself, and it was an experience walking alongside tallest mountains in all the known world.
While passing through we had to give out a several tolls to clans who controlled certain parts of mountain pass, but it was something the caravan had done many times before and it seemed clans had learned long ago they earned more from tolling live traders who felt safe doing the journey again then from looting dead ones.
It helped that I let caravan master use me as threatening stick with small displays of my magic when some clansmen got overly greedy or touchy with some of the women. Seems they have a healthy respect and fear of magic users that was learned through experience rather than simply stories.
After many days of travel through the Bone Mountains we finally made it through pass, and some more days later we arrived at our next destination.
The fortified city of Samyriana, with it's tall walls, towers and heavily armed warrior-women it certainly lived up to it's history as a former fortress during time of the Patrimony.
The caravan master had warned me ahead of time that since the Awakening there has been some religious turmoil in the city so I did my best to hide my magic and keep my head down low, sadly that meant I couldn't really study or stay as long as I could. After a few days of trading and resupply I parted ways with the caravan, partly tearful since it seems I was considered part of family at that point and the whole time the caravan master had been trying to get me to marry his daughter.
I had simply thought she was being nice!
Teana rolled her eyes at that, good evidence this missive was real at least. Her student was quite dense when it came to matters of the heart and women in general.
We parted well enough and I took my leave along the northern road from city, not to travel to Kayakayanaya mind you, but to get close the real destination of my journey.
The Great Sand Sea!
Teana remembered fondly how he had asked so many questions about that region of the world, how he read seemingly every book written by famous adventurous and less famous ones to absorb all there was in the world. After he graduated he had decided that reading was not enough, that he had to see and experience these far off places himself rather than rely on the written word of other men. He even prepared a list of all the places he wanted to explore and study, swearing that he would find something worth while to return to the Scholarum while his peers thought him half mad to do something so ambitious on just a Journey of Wisdom.
Teana admired the drive, even if she worried for him. She had no doubt if he was powerful enough he would travel the other Planes as well... She wondered if she should mention since he left they had opened the Terminus.
She decided that would be best for when he got back and read on.
The desert certainly lived up to it's name, the massive valley and canyon of nothing but rock and sand seemed to go on as much as the Bone Mountains! And that was before I got to the fishing village on it's edge.
Oh yes, there are still fishing villages! Ancient ones too that must go back thousands of years at least!
You see, the desert apparently used to be the breadbasket of the Patrimony, being an area of countless rivers and lakes around which this civilization flourished. However, during a period known simply as the Dry Times, it all dried out to it's current state at a rapid pace causing the fall of the once mighty realm. So the question is if this is the case what causes a fishing village parked at it's literal edge to still be functioning?
Apparently because despite the water leaving, the fish never did!
Teana stopped reading for a moment, reread that passage and just blinked. What?
I know what you are thinking, I must have gone mad from thirst or something. But I am well hydrated and healthy I assure you! After some questioning the locals, who seem to get a kick out of confusing visitors, their families had been fishing creatures that live in desert for generations. Though they have experienced a boom in such creatures since the Awakening and they have become a more common sight.
From my own studies of creatures they don't seem dissimilar from normal fish but have simply adapted to swimming through sand and living in extreme heat. And it is most certainly extreme, the drastic change from green fields to desert within only a mile is something. Air going from normal to terribly dry is another.
The village itself drops off a literal cliff from where once it was built next to the water and uses old docks to send down nets into sands to make their catch. Said sand is so fine it acts almost like water to the touch! You won't sink rapidly mind you, but still! The villagers use sandals with large surfaces to walk effectively over sands if need be to prevent quick sinking and placed stones for pathways.
They say when the winds kick up the sands truly turn into a rushing river or ocean, the worst times is when massive sandstorms ravage the desert and they have to lock themselves up to keep from choking on the sand that can bury a man in mere moments during one of said storms. Also these storms are constantly shifting the desert dunes making it so how it looked one day may look completely different the next!
And all this is simply what the villagers who live on the edge of the desert know. They say if I want to truly learn about the Great Sand Sea I must seek out the Sand Nomads.
I frowned at the generic name before they explained that the Nomads have their own language and apparently in translation that is the closest one can get for the name of their people in any other language, which is fascinating in it's own right.
The Sand Nomads are described as a prickly people at best but are masters of the desert and of trade as well. Apparently they take the Sand Sea's name quite literally by crafting ships of wood, metal and even bone that can travel the desert as well as any ship in the ocean! Harnessing the power of the wind to move these ships and act as guides and traders to all the settlements that live alongside the Great Sand Sea, including those ruled by the Great Fathers, since it is much faster than traveling around it by road. This has been the case for generations but very few know their origins and culture at all!
Apparently while they do business with them the Sand Nomads rarely interact with "Greenlanders" very much beyond a few that have gained their respect.
Teana could see where this was going. Oh no...
Indeed, Headmistress! I plan to befriend them and learn all that they are willingly to part with! I send this letter to you now to update you after so long and shall wait till the Sand Nomads stop by the village to do business. I shall contact you once I have learned what I can and perhaps when I feel I have learned enough I will return to the Deep for a time to add many books to the Scholarum's collection.
However, if my hypothesis is right that could keep me here for a long while without additional support. You see, I hypothesize that the reason why the Great Sand Sea is this way it is is because somewhere out there in it is a passive connection the Plane of Fire itself! Based on my readings of the place they too have a burning endless desert there yet full of life perfectly adapted to it. Perhaps it is this connection that lead to the Dry Times and so quickly created the Sand Sea to point it toppled a mighty realm. That it let in many natural creatures of that Plane that now flourish today. That the recent Awakening has stabilized any sporadic connection into something a little more stable to account for the increase in desert life.
Like said all this is simply a hypothesis with no true evidence to back it up, but if these Nomads have been within desert for so long they are known as masters of it they must know something they aren't telling! Well, I plan to get them to gladly tell me!
I hope to send you my next report as soon as I can.
Your student,
Wisdom Jorar Ostos
As Teana reached the end of the missive she turned to her assistant.
"Please copy this down word for word and have a copy sent to the House of Mirrors to confirm it's source and check on Jorar, depending on what they say we can then report it to the King. I'm sure he will find it quite interesting."
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Part MMMCII: Fire's Bane
Fire's Bane
Second Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC
"What manner of dominion does Ymeri hold over the ever-burning manse?" you ask, gazing curiously into the flames. The fire whirls and dances, a sphere from leaping fire wrought, in shadows inked the world that shrouds it, a thing of charred tapestries and dripping gold. You see it before the Fey beside you speaks, and with a shiver of understanding you know it to be far more than any common spirit. As one the wild might of the primal elemental and the subtle magics of those clothed in flesh, Fey and fury both.
"You look upon the Herald of Ymeri, oh Dragon who is Lord of Men," the Sprite proclaims. "It is only for knowing him bound beyond the wards of faith and sorcery where you stand before me that I have decided to sooner risk his wrath than yours."
"What did that never to be sufficiently damned fool Teryos do?" Zherys' voice is soft but filled with such leashed rage that one could almost imagine the dead magister fortunate to merely be consigned to Hell or the Pit for his transgressions. A long breath hisses between his teeth, the sound almost draconic. "What of those who first called forth the power of Ymeri?" he asks after a moment.
"Forever burning, never consumed, they work now to advance N'gath's will and his will is to be free upon this mortal world," the seer replies, her voice vague, in the grip of some ephemeral trance. "He will have his freedom in the end, faith will waver or magic flicker, you... are... mortal and All thAt is moRtaL FleSh MuST BURN!"
You hear the shift in tone a moment before the brightness of the scrying fire begins to grow and grow, white hot and every crackle a forlorn scream. The traitor Fey begins to catch fire a thousand times hotter than her own nature. You pull at the threads of magic with all your strength and purpose as behind you Zherys begins his own incantation, but before either of you can work your magics upon the hapless Fey, Rina speaks a word of ice and stillness forged in the cold Far North. The fire in the thorns dies like a candle in a gale and the fey looks around in horror, once more herself but filled with dread as she understands that she had never been as free as she imagined.
The curse is not gone, you know, merely dormant while Rina's mantle of stillness holds, and the moment she steps away the fires will rage again, faster perhaps than the uttering of a single spell.
"Rina, move away," you say.
For a moment you think she will hesitate, giving the bewildered Fey a chance to cling to her, but she does not. She trusts you.
You do not need a heartbeat or the span of a single word. Time twists to your unspoken will and hangs in the balance, and when you speak it is with an invocation of will that needs not the structure of other magics.
It is enough, barely, threads of white hot flame thinner than silk and stronger than Adamantine snap in your sight.
"What does the Herald of Ymeri seek?" you ask after a moment. You consider asking the Fey to reply only with words and not with magic, though in the end you judge her more than cautious enough. It had probably been the curse that drove her to scry to begin with.
"The death of this city, to make a great pyre from the souls of the mortals." The words fall heavy through the dead air. "What purpose this death serves is beyond my ken."
"It hardly matters," you point out practically. "One does not ask a would-be murderer why he has drawn the knife but rather stop him. So too is it here with Ymeri."
"Knowledge can never go amiss..." From his thoughtful tone it is clear Zherys has recovered his usual calm, or at least the appearance of it. "While shadows, fire, ice, and steel will serve us well, Your Grace, there is another we should summon to part the wards... and to aid us beyond them, Benerro, Flame Keeper of the Red God."
What do you reply?
[] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end
[] Disagree, if the Flame Keeper should die within the manse in your company and Zherys' it might breed the very mistrust and anger that he has worked so hard to stem
OOC: Looks like my initiative dice wanted to give Rina a chance to shine.
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- Location
- ?????????
Rina has AMF? Also that was very well done by our badass ice mage.
She is a cleric so she can prepare it yes.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Oh fuck no.
As if we hadn't had enough trouble with Valyria, this is just a perfect an in for Efreeti to enter PoB.
And somewhere there'll be literally noone to oppose them, to boot!
Great omake, this is the kind of worldbuilding we rarely get these days... and it certainly holds up both to this quest's, and source material's standards.
Well, that had a potential to be very nasty.
@Duesal, you have my full support to hunt down this fuck and eat him.
Eating a divine herald might be a bit more than Viserys can stomach.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Fire's Bane
Second Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC
"What manner of dominion does Ymeri hold over the ever-burning manse?" you ask, gazing curiously into the flames. The fire whirls and dances, a sphere from leaping fire wrought, in shadows inked the world that shrouds it, a thing of charred tapestries and dripping gold. You see it before the fey beside you speaks, and with a shiver of understanding, you know it to be far more than any common spirit. As one, the wild might of the primal elemental and the subtle magics of those clothed in flesh, fey and fury both.
"You look upon the Herald of Ymeri, oh Dragon who is Lord of Men," the sprite proclaims. "It is only for knowing him found beyond the wards of faith and sorcery, where you stand before me, that I have decided to sooner risk his wrath than yours."
"What did that never to be sufficiently damned fool Teryos do?" Zherys' voice is soft but filled with such leashed rage that one could almost imagine the dead magister fortunate to merely be consigned to Hell or the Pit for his transgressions. A long breath hisses between his teeth the sound almost draconic. "What of those who first called forth the power of Ymeri?" he asks after a moment.
"Forever burning, never consumed, they work now to advance N'gath's will, and his will is to be free upon this mortal world," the seer replies, her voice vague, in the grip of some ephemeral trance. "He will have his freedom in the end, faith will waver or magic flicker, you... are... mortal, and All thAt is moRtaL FleSh MuST BURN!"
You hear the shift in tone a moment before the brightness of the scrying fire begins to grow and grow, white hot and every crackle a forlorn scream. The traitor fey begins to catch fire a thousand times hotter than her own nature. You pull at the threads of magic with all your strength and purpose, as behind you Zherys begins his own incantation, but before either of you can work your magics upon the hapless fey, Rina speaks a word of ice and stillness forged in the cold Far North. The fire in the thorns dies like a candle in a gale and the fey looks around in horror, once more herself but filled with dread as she understands that she had never been as free as she imagined.
The curse is not gone, you know, merely dormant while Rina's mantle of stillness holds, and the moment she steps away the fires will rage again, faster perhaps than the uttering of a single spell.
"Rina, move away," you say.
For a moment you think she will hesitate, giving the bewildered fey a chance to cling to her, but she does not. She trusts you.
You do not need a heartbeat or the span of a single word. Time twists to your unspoken will and hangs in the balance, and when you speak it is with an invocation of will that needs not the structure of other magics.
It is enough, barely, threads of white hot flame thinner than silk and stronger than adamantine snap in your sight.
"What does the Hertald of Ymeri seek," you ask after a moment. You consider asking the fey to reply only with words and not with magic, though in the end you judge her more than cautious enough. It had probably been the curse that drove her to scry to begin with.
"The death of this city, to make a great pyre from the souls of the mortals." The words fall heavy through the dead air. "What purpose this death serves is beyond my ken."
"It hardly matters," you point out practically. "One does not ask a would-be murderer why he has drawn the knife, but rather act to stop him. So too is it here with Ymeri."
"Knowledge can never go amiss..." From his thoughtful tone, it is clear Zherys has recovered his usual calm, or at least the appearance of it. "While shadows, fire, ice, and steel will serve us well, Your Grace, there is another we should summon to part the wards... and to aid us beyond them, Benerro, Flame Keeper of the Red God."
What do you reply?
[] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end
[] Disagree, if the Flame Keeper should die within the manse in your company and Zherys' it might breed the very mistrust and anger that he has worked so hard to stem
OOC: Looks like my initiative dice wanted to give Rina a chance to shine.
The Herald of Ymeri looks pretty neat. Let's put it in a jar in the trophy room.
- Location
- ?????????
I believe the idea is to share with our friends: The Old Gods. I am sure the would not mind at all.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
- Location
- ?????????
[X] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end
- Location
- Germany
@DragonParadox
Kinda Meta, but was that already in the box back when we could have entered that manse at level 9?
Kinda Meta, but was that already in the box back when we could have entered that manse at level 9?
- Location
- United States
I would love to eat him, @DragonParadox. I was disappointed we missed the chance for Flamesense and I've been wanting another shot at it.
[X] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I think we might be reading about one of our first Sand Shapers.
Neat omake, dude. I really like the idea of some of our Scholarium graduates going out to see the world as Journeyman mages.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
If it makes you feel any better the efreeti would have super hard time finding other end in their own literally endless dessert even if they were aware of it. Not to mention place is super hostile like Sea of Fire is, makes exploring dangerous.
Thanks! Thank @DragonParadox too since he helped make omake possible, I just had the time to write it.
Maybe!
Well that is kinda point of Jounery of Wisdom, become a journeryman to gain experience. Most graduates just want safe and easy postings most of the time. Very few want to live adventurer's life since at a soft cap of level 5-6 not many travel or long-distance communication spells.
Not everyone can be a PC with a large number of powerful spells to use for nearly any situation.
[X] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end
- Location
- United Kingdom
[X] Agree, Benerro has had a stake in this from the start, it is only right that he be there at the end