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

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Canon Omake: The Spice of Magic Part XI
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    • The Spice of Magic Part XI​

    Thirteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
    <<<Previous Next>>>

    Baedar twisted through the air in the shape of lesser dragonkin, narrowly avoiding spell-fire from the enemy mage who stood upon a nimbus of light and air. So they are not without their own tools and craft, the Investigator thought absently, watching the burning of a party of deathly knights, seared to ashes under the fury of his blood-wrought power.

    He ripped the wards away from the mage, their face a rictus of pain and fury even as they were peppered with half a dozen arbalest flung bolts--his protection detail coming to his rescue, though it was all for naught. They twisted space and abandoned the sinking cloud, appearing in their midst and sending two of the defiant black-clad soldiers to the deck with a sickle bearing a plethora of auras. Baedar knew not if they were alive, he was too busy tearing into the next assault by lance-bearing specters, all aiming for the Captain who was in the middle of dueling his counterpart, a ghoulish pirate lord from some of the darkest annals of his Kingdom's history.

    "Foolish, you know... to let the boy king ply you with empty promises and false hopes. Your cities will burn, your hopes will turn to ashes upon the tongue, even now he goes to die and join his ancestors in agony in some dragon's hoard. Only shame is that She'll come and empty his coffers into her own hoard before we get there for the first pickings." The dread captain's constant grin was split by a horrible and malevolent laugh, cold enough to chill Baedar to the bone. "We'll get the spoils of the southlands to sort through though, don't you worry, once we're done adding your fleet to our strength, and then I'll pay my descendant a little visit. I could always use a new First Mate!" The horror twisted aside from the last ditch work of artifice Lord Baelon brought to the fold, though the man had a strange resolution upon his face for all that he must be gripped with terror.

    "You're going to need a bigger fleet," Baelon quipped, even as spell-steel tore through the spine of Samarro Saan, known as the Last Valyrian, and now the first to fall as Ioqorro came out of concealment and with a flurry of prescient strikes scattered their bones with the help of Baedar's fire and Baelon's courage. They gathered near the stairs leading down to the main deck, recovering their breath. The battle was going better than they expected, they had prepared to face a hell of a different sort, but everyone taking part had expected even odds of death or glory and few had been found wanting. Baelon gasped in shock, pointing towards the sails moving away from the engagement. Ioqorro handed his superior a lens to peer through.

    "Shit! This isn't all of them. They've got the same heading as us. We won't catch up if we don't deal with this lot soon."

    "Should we, though?" Ioqorro pondered aloud, causing both men to look at him in surprise. "We have a mission of our own, and we are not equipped to battle the likes of these alone."

    "No, we can't absolve ourselves of responsibility, I'll petition King Viserys for repayment for our losses in service to the Crown, but no one profits if they sack the ports in the colonies or take control of that project the King has brewing there, nor will we have local guides left alive if they've all been murdered by some restless dead before we even arrive." Baelon was furious, though not at his manservant, who's interests lay solely in protecting him. He turned to Baedar. "You need to send a message to Lord Saan in Axehead and to the Keep back in Sorcerer's Deep. We have to delay that fleet until the King or his people can deal with it. If we combine our strength with Lord Salladhor, we'll be able to make a fight of it."

    "I have already sent word to..." Baedar paused to fell the tapering end of another assault by wraiths, already feeling the strain, brow wet with sweat from having launched more fire in anger than he had in all his days of study in the Shadow Tower. "To headquarters, and to the man in charge of communicating priority messages. Though we are on our own, unless the King sends a Companion to deal with this mess... combining forces with Lord Saan is a wise idea, however. Whatever mage is leading this fleet knows something we don't, Gorgossos should be too well protected to take with anything less than an army."

    "They threatened us," Baelon pointed out, watching a few of the floating wrecks beside the Fang begin to sink to the bottom of the ocean. "More than that they threaten this fleet's future. And the fact of the matter is they might just have that army."

    Ioqorro cleared his throat, both men realizing they still had a battle to win. "Best we seize the day before we lose tomorrow, My Lord." And then they would have to sail off to war.
     
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    • Fascinating omake @Crake , it says interesting things about the expedition's leader's trust in Viserys paying up that they are willing to postpone their profits for the sake of their civic duty. It does make sense though Viserys did offer to personally help with those goals so they would be confident he is good for repayment and rewards.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Fascinating omake @Crake , it says interesting things about the expedition's leader's trust in Viserys paying up that they are willing to postpone their profits for the sake of their civic duty. It does make sense though Viserys did offer to personally help with those goals so they would be confident he is good for repayment and rewards.
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    He has a legendary reputation for generosity at this point.
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    Better than nothing, Tiamat can be mean though:




    From Unholy Ravager, Tiamat says "Fuck you, your defences, your saving throws, your everything".
    Does Dany have any way to make an emergency-dodge, an immediate-action-teleport?
    Because if so, that might be better than trying to defend against an unstoppable force.
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    Changed Primatic Wall to Wall of Mithral. At 19th caster level, Dany's Wall will have 180 HP. That should be enough to tank at least one shot.

    Wall of Mithral – d20PFSRD

    www.d20pfsrd.com www.d20pfsrd.com
     
    Rovos said:
    Mithral created by this spell is not suitable for use in the creation of other objects and cannot be sold.
    so probebly not
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    That probably refers to reforging it into weapons or armor rather than just keeping it as a big slab. The description has references of using the spell to make traps and seal breaches, so I don't see why it couldn't be used to bolster a wall.
     
    Crake said:
    The Spice of Magic Part XI​

    Thirteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
    <<<Previous

    Baedar twisted through the air in the shape of lesser dragonkin, narrowly avoiding spell-fire from the enemy mage who stood upon a nimbus of light and air. So they are not without their own tools and craft, the Investigator thought absently, watching the burning of a party of deathly knights, seared to ashes under the fury of his blood-wrought power.

    He ripped the wards away from the mage, their face a rictus of pain and fury even as they were peppered with half a dozen arbalest flung bolts--his protection detail coming to his rescue, though it was all for naught. They twisted space and abandoned the sinking cloud, appearing in their midst and sending two of the defiant black-clad soldiers to the deck with a sickle bearing a plethora of auras. Baedar knew not if they were alive, he was too busy tearing into the next assault by lance-bearing specters, all aiming for the Captain who was in the middle of dueling his counterpart, a ghoulish pirate lord from some of the darkest annals of his Kingdom's history.

    "Foolish, you know... to let the boy king ply you with empty promises and false hopes. Your cities will burn, your hopes will turn to ashes upon the tongue, even now he goes to die and join his ancestors in agony in some dragon's hoard. Only shame is that She'll come and empty his coffers into her own hoard before we get there for the first pickings." The dread captain's constant grin was split by a horrible and malevolent laugh, cold enough to chill Baedar to the bone. "We'll get the spoils of the southlands to sort through though, don't you worry, once we're done adding your fleet to our strength, and then I'll pay my descendant a little visit. I could always use a new First Mate!" The horror twisted aside from the last ditch work of artifice Lord Baelon brought to the fold, though the man had a strange resolution upon his face for all that he must be gripped with terror.

    "You're going to need a bigger fleet," Baelon quipped, even as spell-steel tore through the spine of Samarro Saan, known as the Last Valyrian, and now the first to fall as Ioqorro came out of concealment and with a flurry of prescient strikes scattered their bones with the help of Baedar's fire and Baelon's courage. They gathered near the stairs leading down to the main deck, recovering their breath. The battle was going better than they expected, they had prepared to face a hell of a different sort, but everyone taking part had expected even odds of death or glory and few had been found wanting. Baelon gasped in shock, pointing towards the sails moving away from the engagement. Ioqorro handed his superior a lens to peer through.

    "Shit! This isn't all of them. They've got the same heading as us. We won't catch up if we don't deal with this lot soon."

    "Should we, though?" Ioqorro pondered aloud, causing both men to look at him in surprise. "We have a mission of our own, and we are not equipped to battle the likes of these alone."

    "No, we can't absolve ourselves of responsibility, I'll petition King Viserys for repayment for our losses in service to the Crown, but no one profits if they sack the ports in the colonies or take control of that project the King has brewing there, nor will we have local guides left alive if they've all been murdered by some restless dead before we even arrive." Baelon was furious, though not at his manservant, who's interests lay solely in protecting him. He turned to Baedar. "You need to send a message to Lord Saan in Axehead and to the Keep back in Sorcerer's Deep. We have to delay that fleet until the King or his people can deal with it. If we combine our strength with Lord Salladhor, we'll be able to make a fight of it."

    "I have already sent word to..." Baedar paused to fell the tapering end of another assault by wraiths, already feeling the strain, brow wet with sweat from having launched more fire in anger than he had in all his days of study in the Shadow Tower. "To headquarters, and to the man in charge of communicating priority messages. Though we are on our own, unless the King sends a Companion to deal with this mess... combining forces with Lord Saan is a wise idea, however. Whatever mage is leading this fleet knows something we don't, Gorgossos should be too well protected to take with anything less than an army."

    "They threatened us," Baelon pointed out, watching a few of the floating wrecks beside the Fang begin to sink to the bottom of the ocean. "More than that they threaten this fleet's future. And the fact of the matter is they might just have that army."

    Ioqorro cleared his throat, both men realizing they still had a battle to win. "Best we seize the day before we lose tomorrow, My Lord." And then they would have to sail off to war.
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    Damn, dude, this is getting really good. Another neat twist I wasn't expecting.

    The link to Tiamat is timed perfectly. Were you planning it like that or did inspiration strike?
     
    Goldfish said:
    Damn, dude, this is getting really good. Another neat twist I wasn't expecting.

    The link to Tiamat is timed perfectly. Were you planning it like that or did inspiration strike?
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    Planned, I knew we were going after her this month and knew we would be before I started writing this series even.
     
    Interlude DCCXXXI: Of Fiends and Fallen Princes
  • Threadmarks
    • Of Fiends and Fallen Princes ​

    Thirteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    Jiang Province Yi Ti

    Aradia had always enjoyed the graceful arc of her arrows across the clear blue sky, striking by skill and sorcery targets no one else could even attempt, farther, faster, stronger. However even her keen senses could not hear the men upon the battlements gasp out their dying breath, but she could see them stumble, could jut barely see the looks of utter shock on their fellows' faces as they noticed the swan feathered arrows that sprouted as though by a conjurer's arts from their officers' flesh.

    Most did not get up.

    "Think they're distracted enough yet?" Azema asked, her smile showing just a hint of her elegant white fangs. The plan was simple enough, though counting upon deception as much as subterfuge. There was no way to hide that the camp of the Golden Company and the fortress in the shadow of Old Sarnor were both being attacked in a concerted effort to sweep all their interests from the board, but thanks to the efforts of the Emerald Magistrates and the unwitting aid of certain reflexively hostile factions at court who desired no contact with 'the barbarians from Beyond the Gates' it was possible to sneak in assassins under the guise of supposedly 'aiding' the oni lord against this 'unprovoked and treacherous attack.'

    After all, as a cousin of the emperor Colonel Bu Jia Jin had been among the first to receive a 'wind script'. Identical in form if not in function to the sending stones used at home these small pieces of paper had only to be burned in holy flame to summon aid, and what circumstance would require more aid than being under the direct attack of fiends? Aradia's smile was every bit as sharp as the alu demon's beside her.

    ***​

    The asura danced through the ranks of the provincial guards, the staff in her hands more deadly than finest steel, a rebuke to every warrior present more deadly than even its lightning quick blows. At least so the storytellers would recount and the poets write. For the men fighting and dying against the spirit of ruin at the east gate it was very much the possibility of sudden violent death that was the first concern.

    For his part the being called Tor lurked in the shadows, adding his magic to the scales only sparingly, a tangle there, a dart of power here... a jade-kissed sword slipping from bloody hands just as triumph seemed near. The irony of killing these soldiers with the explicit consent of their 'rightful' overlords sat upon his tongue like fine wine. He could certainly do without the peril of confronting the tainted spirit when it understood it had been betrayed.

    "Tor, we need you in the mess hall to kill the snake charmer," the cold voice of the fury echoed in his mind, just as he was about to burn a particularly bold captain in black shadow-fire. Tor sighed unheard by any living soul. It was not that he minded the Sisters of Vengeance, they were certainly easier to work with than the flotsam of the Abyss that had somehow tumbled into King Viserys' service, but they had as much poetry in their hearts as one might find on the edge of a swords.

    A treacherous shugenja fell from the height of the gatehouse, drawn by an animated rope. He screamed all the way down. Particularly well forged swords, he would grant.

    OOC: Short and lacking in serious action, but I hope worth it just the same to built up atmosphere rather than just rush into even more high stakes combat from the start. I also wanted to explore how the various fiends are interacting in their new circumstances.
     
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    • thoose poor bastards never knew what hit them

    well they did, but not really to the extend of how fucked they were
     
    DragonParadox said:
    OOC: Short and lacking in serious action, but I hope worth it just the same to built up atmosphere rather than just rush into even more high stakes combat from the start. I also wanted to explore how the various fiends are interacting in their new circumstances.
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    If you think about it, most Fiends aren't outcasts. They belong to something, even if it's just part of a ravening horde or some kind of conspiracy in the case of Demons. But there are some outcasts in every society, the dissatisfied and the downtrodden looking for a higher purpose than that which was forced upon them by metaphysics and chance, and I bet they feel very odd to be on the business end of Viserys' empathy. He's spent most of his childhood feeling powerless, and fell face first into adulthood having to take responsibility for all sorts of castoffs and misfits.
     
    @Goldfish MFW during high stakes combat we are calling in literal air strikes now. And wouldn't you know it, most spells and abilities do not have the capability of affecting something shelling them from two miles away?
     
    Crake said:
    If you think about it, most Fiends aren't outcasts. They belong to something, even if it's just part of a ravening horde or some kind of conspiracy in the case of Demons. But there are some outcasts in every society, the dissatisfied and the downtrodden looking for a higher purpose than that which was forced upon them by metaphysics and chance, and I bet they feel very odd to be on the business end of Viserys' empathy. He's spent most of his childhood feeling powerless, and fell face first into adulthood having to take responsibility for all sorts of castoffs and misfits.
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    Very good point, though I would say less applicable in the case of demons who embody Chaos and thus have nothing we would understand as a society. The hierarchies of demons are not built on any sort of shared value or notion of the collective advancement, but strictly on who is stronger (be it in magic, cunning physical might etc...)
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Very good point, though I would say less applicable in the case of demons who embody Chaos and thus have nothing we would understand as a society. The hierarchies of demons are not built on any sort of shared value or notion of the collective advancement, but strictly on who is stronger (be it in magic, cunning physical might etc...)
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    Yeah, but really it is hard to feel like an outcast when you have so much chaotic energy. :V
     
    Inserted tally
    Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on Feb 11, 2020 at 2:56 PM, finished with 87 posts and 13 votes.
    • [X] "How are them Targaryen siblings gonna get out of this one?"
      -[X] Summon the Worm against Tiamat's avatar while Nirah, the Champion of Yss keeps it occupied for a few moments.
      -[X] The rest of Team Yss, along with the Mind Dragon that has accompanied Team Viserys and Balerion, will retreat as quickly as possible, Dimension Dooring in the Mind Dragon's case (taking the incapacitated Ashara and Seeker with it). They will link up with the Team Vee or Team Malarys to help them against other Golden Company threats while staying well clear of the Avatar. Once it reaches one of the other groups, the Mind Dragon kills Ashara then gathers up her remains for later disposal.
      -[X] The Wyverns and Moonchaser will immediately begin targeting the Avatar of Tiamat with Beetle Bombs, and the Moonchaser will focus fire her steam cannons on it.
      -[X] Sandor finishes off Connington with a coup de grace.
      -[X] Teana targets the Flesh Smith with a Baleful Shadow Transformation (DC 32 Fortitude save). She uses her Ring of Spell-Battle to Counterspell or Alter Fortune to assist her spell or help her allies, if necessary.
      -[X] Richard expends one use of Mythic Power to use Fleet Charge to engage with Aegon, going for maximum speed and lethality.
      -[X] Lya targets the Flesh Smith with an Amber Sarcophagus spell. She uses her Ring of Spell-Battle to Counterspell or Alter Fortune to assist her spell or help her allies, if necessary.
      -[X] Dany prepares to defend herself and the others from the Avatar as needed, Dreamcasting whatever barrier spell is necessary, up to a Wall of Mithral, while using Divine Defiance as an Immediate Action and Battlemagic Perception as a Free Action to Counterspell to the best of her ability. She use Turning attempt to counter attempts made to Command Dragons, if necessary.
      -[X] Viserys casts True Casting as a Swift Action, then casts a Maximized Agonizing Shadow of the Doom (DC 33 Fortitude save to take 210 Searing Fire damage rather than be Petrified, caster level 32 to overcome SR, rolls twice and takes highest result to beat SR) spell aimed to blanket the entire area around his group, the Cleric's of Tiamat, and her Avatar. He excludes his allies from the effect.
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    DragonParadox said:
    Of Fiends and Fallen Princes ​

    Thirteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    Aradia had always enjoyed the graceful arc of her arrows across the clear blue sky, striking by skill and sorcery targets no one else could even attempt, farther, faster, stronger. However even her keen senses could not hear the men upon the battlements gasp out their dying breath, but she could see them stumble, could jut barely see the looks of utter shock on their fellows' faces as they noticed the swan feathered arrows that sprouted as though by a conjurer's arts from their officers' flesh.

    Most did not get up.

    "Think they're distracted enough yet?" Azema asked, her smile showing just a hint of her elegant white fangs. The plan was simple enough, though counting upon deception as much as subterfuge. There was no way to hide that the camp of the Golden Company and the fortress in the shadow of Old Sarnor were both being attacked in a concerted effort to sweep all their interests from the board, but thanks to the efforts of the Emerald Magistrates and the unwitting aid of certain reflexively hostile factions at court who desired no contact with 'the barbarians from Beyond the Gates' it was possible to sneak in assassins under the guise of supposedly 'aiding' the oni lord against this 'unprovoked and treacherous attack.'

    After all, as a cousin of the emperor Colonel Bu Jia Jin had been among the first to receive a 'wind script'. Identical in form if not in function to the sending stones used at home these small pieces of paper had only to be burned in holy flame to summon aid, and what circumstance would require more aid than being under the direct attack of fiends? Aradia's smile was every bit as sharp as the alu demon's beside her.

    ***​

    The asura danced through the ranks of the provincial guards, the staff in her hands more deadly than finest steel, a rebuke to every warrior present more deadly than even its lightning quick blows. At least so the storytellers would recount and the poets write. For the men fighting and dying against the spirit of ruin at the east gate it was very much the possibility of sudden violent death that was the first concern.

    For his part the being called Tor lurked in the shadows, adding his magic to the scales only sparingly, a tangle there, a dart of power here... a jade-kissed sword slipping from bloody hands just as triumph seemed near. The irony of killing these soldiers with the explicit consent of their 'rightful' overlords sat upon his tongue like fine wine. He could certainly do without the peril of confronting the tainted spirit when it understood it had been betrayed.

    "Tor, we need you in the mess hall to kill the snake charmer," the cold voice of the fury echoed in his mind, just as he was about to burn a particularly bold captain in black shadow-fire. Tor sighed unheard by any living soul. It was not that he minded the Sisters of Vengeance, they were certainly easier to work with than the flotsam of the Abyss that had somehow tumbled into King Viserys' service, but they had as much poetry in their hearts as one might find on the edge of a swords.

    A treacherous shugenja fell from the height of the gatehouse, drawn by an animated rope. He screamed all the way down. Particularly well forged swords, he would grant.

    OOC: Short and lacking in serious action, but I hope worth it just the same to built up atmosphere rather than just rush into even more high stakes combat from the start. I also wanted to explore how the various fiends are interacting in their new circumstances.
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    Lots of good Shadow Tor POV lately, DP.

    Just now realized I forgot to update Azema's character sheet last night. Got sidetracked writing a combat plan, then had company over. Will try to work on it this evening.
     
    I keep forgetting that Richard has an innate form of Spell-Turning. He hardly ever gets targeted by something that isn't another murderblender. Is that what you call honor in a battle of monsters and sorcerers? 😎
     
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