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

Fifteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

"Best to capture the dragons if possible, they are young," you say, meeting the eyes of your friends and companions one by one. Malarys looks ill pleased at the thought of managing the intersection of draconic pride and youthful impetuousness. "It will depend on what they have been doing with the time they were in hiding..." Left unsaid is the fact that the odds do not seem good for the young dragon who was dealing with dark fey in the Rainwood. "Lya, you, Waymar, Vee and I think... Xor can be our envoys."

"Will that not be a rather unusual greeting?" your friend bobs in place anxiously, two of his eyestalks looking down in embarrassment. "Perhaps someone more familiar..." he glances at Amrelath.

"I have no time for welps," the dragon scoffs, the form of humankind doing nothing to disguise his frustration with being summoned here rather than back in his lair ordering his hoard. "They can show the worth of their blood by seeing sense or they can die." He had claimed for his share of the spoils several captured idols and religious offerings first stolen by the priests of Tiamat and held as trophies. Most he had kept, though much to the surprise of most involved he also returned an opal-studded shrine to the priests of the Lady of the Silver Moon.

Amrelath's hoard increases by 25,000 IM (Religious shrines and Idols)

Amrelath Gains Boon of the Silver Moon [Unspent]

"Perhaps your presence might startle the young dragons out of their preconceptions," you explain. "Mortals are all too easily dismissed even when the evidence of their senses might dictate otherwise, but you should rouse at least enough curiosity for them to talk rather than attempt to fight or flee."

"We can handle some dragon hatchlings," Vee says mock-offended.

"I don't think anyone doubts that, but if we end up bringing them back in bottles I'd say odds are good they would deny us for pride's sake," Dany says, sad but determined all at once. She had not wanted to raise a wyrmling for Tiamat even when she had been compelled to serve the dark goddess. You suspect coming face to face with these young dragons and having to slay them might taste even more bitter for her than Aegon's fate was.


Before you too depart on a journey that would take you far from Sorcerer's Deep you look through your own pile of treasure, taken from the dead and the captive alike. Connington's blade glints like a shard of black glass in the light and a sliver of moonlight in shadow, a weapon seemingly at peace with the arts of war he had learned, while his armor is wrought of the craft of Nefer from what little you can read of the markings upon it, able to guard one against a killing blow as you had seen but not two out of every day.

Ashara's weapons too seem forged with her powers in mind, not only of spellsteel but drake claw and glittering scale, granting her the power to call upon her patron with sword as much as spell. Two more you will sacrifice you suspect, though a part of you wonders if you aught not have sent them as trophies for the young dragons to see, to know the power of Tiamat is broken.


Of greatest note and most concerning nature are the amulets of warding, lesser and greater, all forged of slick black metal, chain that flows like silk, shadows woven with blood. "They have been doing brisk business with Those Under the Shadow," you muse darkly. "I wonder if it would be enough for the rakshasa to object to removing the priests of Tiamat in their midst?"

"Many will seek our death for the trespass alone," Tor says softly, running his fingers through his beard nervously. "We had best be quick about it."

"Don't worry, we'll protect you," Dany says sweetly. Beneath the teasing there is iron hard conviction and that you suspect the fiend does not quite know how to deal with. He almost seems relieved to see your attention and Dany's turn towards the Shadow Fortress before heading east. Destruction, even on the scale the echoes of the Doom can work, is something he is far more familiar with.

How do you enter the Domain of the Bloodstone Emperor?

[] Tor's Shadow Walk (Subtle but an indirect approach)

[] Teleportation (Reaches your target instantly, very obvious to any wards or observers)

OOC: This feels a lot less coherent than I would like it to be, but it needs to be covered. I figured I might as well push it through.