- Location
- E-Girl Deseret
- Pronouns
- She/Her
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
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
What the heck, that item is amazing.
And yeah, the other item would be good for a physician.
You guys had all the flesh-shaping knowledge of old Valyria at your fingertips. The effort in getting these dragons was not in research, it was in recovering the flesh forge intact, it was in getting Lady Sareaena back alive. This project was not done in the background so much as it was done in Gogossos, in Lyceos and in the Astral Plane. That is the reward you guys got for that.
Very nice omake @Crake, the economic underpinings of the reagent trade are fascinating, though it is not something I have considered before. Also I love the name King's men, it underlies that it many ways they are a call apart from any we would normally see in history, they have grown wealthy and powerful from the unprecedented expansion of the state. There are some comparsions to be made with Europe moving into the Age of Absolutism, but very faint compared to the sheer scale of the expansion too.
Nice to see Baedar too, I really should write him into an interlude at some point.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Well considering where they're going, and who they're going to be working with, you'll probably get your chance.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
This data compounds, absolutism I think ultimately led to the manner in which monarchies being the primary form of governance, even when innovation increases and levels of agency was spread out among more people by holding wealth and thus the opportunity to do things like attend rallies of populist movements (since not working for a day wouldn't also mean not eating).
In ASWaH, absolutism is pretty much necessary. All of the top tier factions have an absolute form of governance, with policy being decided on the top level downwards and a complex chain of bureaucracy carrying it out. And the idea of the leader being overthrown by the people isn't so much a case study of an age of advancement ousting the leader, so much as example of no one rising to that position in the first place without the environment shaping them to be optimal for the role. But by the very nature of the setting, Asskicking Equals Authority but also Hypercompetence, so eventually someone would rise to the top even in a system where decision-making powers were spread out, and then use reality warping or Comic Book level skills to consolidate their power, whether or not they were some Overlord type figure, simply because running a Planar Empire equivalent state requires that much control.
Just as an example, but the political situation on Water only works because no equivalent state has the right assets to get a foothold in the area that would be economically worthwhile because of what it would take to live there, thus there's no outside threats forcing figures to step forward to try to centralize power, and everyone can just compete against each other. When a threat does step forward, it isn't interested in exploiting local resources and trade, it is just trying to eat people or use them for spare parts.
Viserys would also ironically not argue that they derive their power by divine right of rule, even more ironic since that's the basis Not!China has been using for thousands of years, but instead because of the laconic statement of: "Who else?" As though assuming someone has to do it is just a matter of fact, and then doing it. And using Asmodeus, Deep Ones, White Walkers and other gribblies as an example of why it is a bad idea to argue. And the continued existence of these threats is just infinite justification to keep hold of that power.
I am actually genuinely curious of what Viserys would do if he should live long enough to contain most of these threats. He's already introducing reforms that give people more voice in governance and giving more focus on jurisprudence and legal precedent rather than simply "whatever I feel like at the time" as was the case in Westeros. I have to wonder where that focus on actually forming a rule of law came from, since that is a factor that actually limits what he can do, but then I'm reminded of "oh right, Aerys".
Viserys is engaging in world conquest and one of the primary concerns he has isn't "how am I going to win a war", it's "how am I going to spread the Courts?"
This is likely to be beyond the scope of the quest, but if I were to wager an opinion of what a Viserys reaching the point where every danger is contained, I'd say it very much depends on if there is any public sentiment asking for him to step down, he would not do it out of general principle, but if people asked for it and the realm would truly run just as well... then to borrow a thread meme that extra-planar beach-house would start looking mighty fine I imagine.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
He wouldn't fight a war against the people just to cling onto power. Against rebels and traitors, fiend pawns and maybe even completely misguided, but without external threats and long-term and peaceful overtures from multiple factions asking for a more democratic system, I imagine the Targaryen Dynasty to go the way of the House of Windsor.
I'll be working on updayting the front page for a bit, vote closing after that.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
@DragonParadox I believe Zherys deserves an update on the Contacts post given several major updates in his character arc which make the blurb... less than appropriate as it doesn't really describe the current state of his character now, from the "Valyrian Superiority" bit to the "uneasy understanding".
Adding his House name to it would also be cool.
Adding his House name to it would also be cool.
That just needs to be deleted and moved to vassals with a new blurb, but right now I'm working on the mystical servants and menagerie.
- Location
- Noway
I could see him moving on to more of an overseer/protector role. Having nothing to do with the normal running of the state, instead focusing on personal projects somewhere in the spheres. Only stepping inn to take charge when some kind of existential threat emerges.
So basically King Arthur except we actually come back? I'm cool with that.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
And our Avalon is a Death Star/mobile battlestation with half its weapons pointed at the Void. The other half are pointed at the Far Realm.
Mystical Subjects tab updated including:
- Pegasi
- Dweomer cat cubs
- Mirror serpent
- Flame-spawned sprite
- New Minotaur pics and numbers brought up to date
- Old pics re-uped for calpina pech and Bulabar
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Those are pretty good for their price, especially for folks who will be operating out of the Green Hell.
I don't think we should purchase any for the expedition Baelon and his people are organizing into Sothoryos, though. That's a private venture, and apparently well funded. They can purchase their own equipment.
Holy shit. I can't believe I've never seen this item before. Useless for enchanting, unfortunately, but incredibly effective for Alchemy, which is normally a long drawn out process. I'm going to make a note to start crafting some of these starting next month. Once we have a few of them on hand, we can start dialing back on Explosive Pack production in our Industrial Alchemy facilities (there are six facilities dedicated to Explosive Packs) and retool them for other useful, but less expensive items.
Haha, yep. Vermin Repellent will be godsend for the poor bastards on that expedition.
Depending on just how well funded their venture is, there are several items they should consider purchasing, too.
An Instant Fortress would be quite pricey to buy at 11,000 IM, but it's extremely durable, large enough to house a large number of people, and mobile. A major investment, but one that could be the difference between success and failure of the venture and the long term survival of the people sent to Sothoryos. If that's too expensive, a 3/Day Secure Shelter item would be pretty effective, too, and cost them only 6,048 IM.
The cheapest option for safe mobile housing, however, would be to hire a Scholarium Sorcerer and equip them with a 400 IM Rope Trick Page of Spell Knowledge. Assuming they don't need to expend any 2nd level spell slots during the day, a 5th level Sorcerer would be good for at least five castings of Rope Trick, with each being capable of holding up to eight people for 10 hours.
Once a suitable location for a permanent base of operations is found, renting a day or two use of an Imperial work crew equipped with a set of Titan's Tools and a Lyre of Building wouldn't be a bad idea for Baelon. They could whip up a large well defended fortress-like compound, with nice high walls and plenty of room for storage and housing, virtually overnight.
Banners of Restful nights would only cost them 1,008 IM each and would allow a lot of people who aren't adapted to the local climate to actually get some useful rest, while also serving as a nice weather mitigation and early warning system.
Campfire Beads are a must, at only 144 IM each. Seems kinda pricey for something as simple as a campfire, but they're endlessly reusable and more than just being convenient, they don't need fuel. Finding a decent quantity of dry wood suitable for burning in Sothoryos would be an impressive trick all on its own.
A Decantur of Endless Water is absolutely essential, of course. At only 1,800 IM to purchase, one of them would easily be enough for everyone involved in the venture.
Including a 1,080 IM Sustaining Spoon for every four members of the Sothoryosi side of the venture would be relatively expensive, but it would cut down on the logistics of the operation immensely, which could be very difficult to manage even with the help of magic. There would be no issues with transporting large amounts of food or preserving it, as spoilage would be a major factor in the damp, insect infested hellhole that is Sothoryos. Would also greatly reduce the amount of foraging that would need to be done, which isn't only time consuming, but stupidly dangerous.
A few rings of at-will Prestidigitation would only cost 180 IM each. They could be used to flavor the gruel created by the Sustaining Spoons to make it tasty, a nice perk to keep your workers from mutinying after eating nothing but flavorless mush for months, but would mainly be useful for keeping everyone clean. Sure, hygiene isn't normally a huge concern for most people on a Medieval Deathworld, but in the Green Hell, you want everyone to be relatively clean and dry as much as possible. Comfort is a nice plus, but preventing infections and disease are essential to keeping workers alive and healthy, not to mention how much it could cut down on the expense of medical care.
So...I might have gotten carried away here.
All told, though, a lot of this stuff, while hardly cheap, would go a long way toward improving the chances their venture won't only succeed, but could also be very profitable. Without workers having to devote a significant portion of each day to basic survival or fearing that Dinosaurs might eat them in their sleep, they'll be happier, more energetic and alert, and all around more productive.
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tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
He didn't have a choice, Dany is Red dragon blooded, that mean Tiamat has dibs, Bahamut literally couldn't approach Dany before Tiamat had her try, him deciding that since Tiamat got to try first, his price for a resurrection would be rejecting Tiamat, was essentially him saying, that if Dany turn down the offer of the one ahead of him in the line, he will give her free stuff.
- Location
- United States
By that point the very culture of the Imperium as a whole will have been shaped by Viserys. The emperor who defeated every threat to his citizens, who brought peace and stability, who reshaped the freaking afterlife? I highly doubt there would ever be any serious movement demanding he step aside. A few fringe movements, maybe, but those would be sneered at and looked down upon by the majority and it would take a single debate with Viserys to be dismantled. Viserys wouldn't bow to the whims of a fringe minority.
Even if he wanted to for some reason, could he? Stuff like the imperial god and his mythic path make Viserys as much a critical piece of infrastructure as a ruler. Even if stepping down wouldn't break something, you can hardly ask someone to step down and continue to manage a critical part of your civilization.
- Location
- United States
Yes, Viserys is a truly irreplaceable leader. Even in the unlikely event that he did step down, it would never be completely. He would be necessity always retain a huge chunk of his authority. This isn't like the IRL shift to democracy where monarchies don't really matter and/or grossly abused their power enough to warrant violent rebellion. If Viserys goes some pretty critical pieces of the Imperium go with him.
tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
Viserys likely wont be called to step down, the rest of the nobility however is something entirely different, I can definitely see a far future, where the people ask, that every(or at least most) ruling positions except the emperor be elected.
But even if Viserys stepped down as Emperor, I'm betting that he would get over 70% of the votes, for who is to be the new president.
- Location
- United States
Oh, there would be no question the nobility would be competing for all the other positions. My argument is mainly that in a world were pretty much everyone in the Imperium by that point will have had their grandmothers grow up in a world where Viserys has always been emperor, and a good steadfast emperor who has always protected them, there shouldn't be any serious public sentiment to want him gone.
Vote closed.
- Location
- Earth
Don't forget the Wizards shackles.
Edit:
Also the reproduction for the wolves needs to be added.
Part of this purchase was its construct construction so we do know its 'reproduction method', If you want I can dig up the post where we purchased them.
Edit2:
It was text about reverse engineering it, so a RA should be added.
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