A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
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Part MMMCDXXII: Wards and Warrens
Wards and Warrens
Twenty Fourth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
As you had expected Lord Ashford invites you all to the keep that evening, curious about the knight who had won the joust and melee both and you suspect a bit more than curious about Rina after her show of magic. Though that is not so say everyone approves of his fascination. As the sun begins to dip in the sky you catch sight of a lady wrapped in a dark grey cloak, a worried expression on her face drawing the lord away from mirth and merriment to a hushed conversation. To your hearing her words are clear even over melody of your own lute.
Lady Adara Ashford does not approve of her son mingling with the fey as much as he does and she particularly does not appreciate the crown of flowers still on Rina's brow. You gather the reason is half piety and half politics. In her own words Owen aught not risk 'a half-dozen horned bastards', but there is a bit of interesting news there also. The fey had apparently offered to help protect Ashford from otherworldly foes, and not only by pledging knights and hosts in times of need.
"Isn't it enough that I have to live half in their world, now you have to invite them and the vagrants that trail after them to a feast in their honor like they are..."
"Nobles mother?" Lord Ashford's tone, which had been faintly weary but tolerant before, cools sharply. "Or are you about to deny they are even people? The fey are here to stay, you know, and more to the point the Court of Stars is actually being helpful as well as courteous in our hour of need, unlike other awakening powers for which men, highborn and low alike, are at best amusements, at worst food."
"Just don't marry the damn chit," the lady grumbles, but you are already paying less attention to the conversation and more to the keep itself. You already knew there are brownies serving House Ashford, but it is a long way from playing host to hearth spirits and being drawn into the realm of the faerie.
"My lord, If I might have a moment of your time in private..." Time for Buttercup the bard to take a step back. This is a dance you have played many a time before.
***
"I must admit, Your Grace, you are... not what I was expecting," Lord Ashford confesses once you had said your part, glamours unraveled under the candlelight. "Lord Tarly painted a rather more grim picture of you and your realm, great of course, but hardly filled with good cheer."
"Would you have tried to persuade Lord Randyll Tarly with good cheer, my lord?" Dany asks with an impish smile.
The young lord laughs granting the point with a nod. "Nay, even the brightest of the Orange or the most dazzling of Violet would fail to shine light upon his dour countenance."
"Speaking of the light of fey eyes, my lord, I would hear more of their deeds and plans for the Reach, though without questions or answers known to those of the Gold as soon as they are spoken," you interject. "You know that there are enchantments that can ward one's mind from those who would peer within it and one's fate from a scrying mirror's eye?"
"Yes," Lord Ashford replies, more gravely. You do not think he suspects the fey, but he can obviously understand why you who have no pacts with them do not wish to conduct negotiations in their sight.
Rina takes out a ring as you had planned. "This was taken from an enemy, forged in a dark place and likely with a price none of us here would pay, but its enchantment is secure from all but the cursed emperor far to the east whom no fey of the Court of Stars would lightly converse with."
"Given the cost of such protections I understand the thrift," the lord nods after a moment, taking it up. It is good that you had warned him for a talisman under his tunic suddenly flares with the green ward-light of the guardian court. Once he had donned the circle of flowing shadow he continues "I can well guess what you would ask of me, Your Grace, for it is what which I have already spoke to Lord Tarly of and though I might have hesitated having only his account and travelers' tales to guide myself by, I do not do so now. Any man who would hold the unwavering fealty of such as knight as Ser Lonmouth is a worthy king to swear my banner to."
You nod solemnly and even Ser Richard seems moved at least a little despite himself, though it is clear as day that colder calculation had also gone into the decision.
"There is an air of fey power here like a song at the edge of hearing, my lord," Rina speaks into the silence that follows. "If you can tell us how this was done and what price was paid...." She trails off worried, though trying not to show it.
"As I am Lord of Ashford, acknowledged by high and low, so might by fey magic this truth be turned to wards against any who would subvert me or taint the land, ramparts of sorcery to match those of stone," he explains. "It is more difficult for dark things to make themselves at home in my land, fiends, monsters and Deep Ones from their stagnant halls."
"More difficult how?" you ask intrigued. Fey magic is not lightly imitated with mortal enchantment, but that does not mean it is impossible as Lya's ward-crafting proved.
"They stand out more, make mistakes they otherwise would not, the good sense of the smallfolk and the courage of armsmen driving them out with steel and blood. I have seen it work just as the fey promised time and again and I am well content," the young lord replies with conviction.
"And the price?" Dany questions a moment before you can do the same.
"The fey are more at home here, not just in the keep but all Ashford lands, their magic brighter and their craft more enduring. More of my people have taken on house spirits and the sprite-kin drink from bowls of milk left by the porch." Pausing a moment he adds. "I had been worried about what the Faith would say of the arrangement in the fullness of time, but the Conclave laid my fears to rest."
What do you reply?
[] Ask what other lords made this pact
[] Delicately point out that the fey might not have the best way forward in mind for their ways and customs are not those of mortal men
[] Write in
OOC: Edits done
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- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, what were we thinking when we offered a direct line to the Blood Emperor?
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Seeing as we have previously established these aren't innately dark/dangerous, and don't have any direct links to the Bloodstone Emps...
(Aside from the fact he could unravel them, given he is bothered enough to look at a random person wearing one...)
Anyone want to bet this "ward" is warning not against Dark stuff specifically, but all high-level magic in general, so the yound lord is less trustful of the sources that arent Fey?
(Aside from the fact he could unravel them, given he is bothered enough to look at a random person wearing one...)
Anyone want to bet this "ward" is warning not against Dark stuff specifically, but all high-level magic in general, so the yound lord is less trustful of the sources that arent Fey?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
That aside, I have a great desire to rip his mother out of the Feywild connection she's in, and throw enough plant and Undead guards to give a Feylord a pause, their way instead.
Fuck CoS.
@Azel, @Goldfish, do we have any good anti-Fey loadouts for the creatures we can create in the forges?
Asking for a vassal
Fuck CoS.
@Azel, @Goldfish, do we have any good anti-Fey loadouts for the creatures we can create in the forges?
Asking for a vassal
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
The Shadowforged Mind Blank rings aren't that bad. We have confirmation that they might not protect against Divinations used by those using shadow-based magics, like many of the beings who live in the Shadowlands under the rule of the Bloodstone Emperor.
The Orphne Court could produce them, too, if they had powerful enough crafters.
- Location
- Germany
I can certainly cook something up.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
[X] "I know not where the ring was forged, though I strongly suspect it originates somewhere in the Shadowlands or perhaps a city within the Shadow realm itself. It is but one of several which were taken as spoils of war when my forces and I destroyed the Golden Company less than two weeks ago."
-[X] "You need not fear surreptitious curse or enchantment hidden within the ring, my lord. It will protect your mind from spells and shield you from Divinations, save perhaps those used by Shadowmages and others skilled in wielding such magics. Although the protection is not absolute, it is far better than going unwarded, as I would have explained if your talisman's warning had not interrupted."
--[X] "It is a gift freely given, with no expectations of reciprocation, not in favors owed, services rendered, or coin paid. I would take no offense if you reject the offer, nor even if you ask your friends among the Fey to verify my claims."
-[X] "You need not fear surreptitious curse or enchantment hidden within the ring, my lord. It will protect your mind from spells and shield you from Divinations, save perhaps those used by Shadowmages and others skilled in wielding such magics. Although the protection is not absolute, it is far better than going unwarded, as I would have explained if your talisman's warning had not interrupted."
--[X] "It is a gift freely given, with no expectations of reciprocation, not in favors owed, services rendered, or coin paid. I would take no offense if you reject the offer, nor even if you ask your friends among the Fey to verify my claims."
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Andy0915
I should write something clever here but...effort.
- Location
- Planet Earth
Could we also offer as an alternative a mindblank that we either made or purchased?
Edit: I'm retracting my vote. I would really like to have an alternative as an offer as a show of good faith.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
We're already doing that. Kinda.That aside, I have a great desire to rip his mother out of the Feywild connection she's in, and throw enough plant and Undead guards to give a Feylord a pause, their way instead.
Fuck CoS.
@Azel, @Goldfish, do we have any good anti-Fey loadouts for the creatures we can create in the forges?
Asking for a vassal
Any Druid, Wizard, or Cleric Creature we create that is capable of casting 3rd level spells, and there are a lot of them since that only requires 7 HD, can prepare some really nice anti-Fey spells.
Iron Stake – d20PFSRD
www.d20pfsrd.com
Junglerazer – Spell – D&D Tools
Complete list of all D&D spells, rulebooks, feats, classes and more!
dndtools.org
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
[X] Goldfish
Ashford: "Wha-?"
While our party is all covered, we arent yet as rich as needed for regular governors (non-Us, non-Sealord, non-Zherys) all being adorned with these rings (if purely because Djinn and Shairan are at war right now, Gith are constantly at war, and we discovered Marid only the last month).
And this guy is on the same importance-scales, even less so maybe. Depends on how deep in bed he is with effin CoS.
On the note of item-orders, @Goldfish, did we make one combined order from Djinn, Shaitan, Marid and Gith all together, for this month?
"...The playerbase, however, will."
Ashford: "Wha-?"
We have a fairly limited number of those.
While our party is all covered, we arent yet as rich as needed for regular governors (non-Us, non-Sealord, non-Zherys) all being adorned with these rings (if purely because Djinn and Shairan are at war right now, Gith are constantly at war, and we discovered Marid only the last month).
And this guy is on the same importance-scales, even less so maybe. Depends on how deep in bed he is with effin CoS.
On the note of item-orders, @Goldfish, did we make one combined order from Djinn, Shaitan, Marid and Gith all together, for this month?
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Eh, no biggy. Changed to "ago".
I would really rather not. We have 8 Shadowforged Mind Blank rings but only 3 regular Mind Blank rings. If there is any place good to use the Shadowforged rings, it's in Westeros, which is far from the Shadowlands and least likely to be involved in anything related to its denizens.
We have an order placed with Vialesk and Armun Kelisk/Opaline Vault, but not yet with the Gith. We can do that retroactively, like always.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Goldfish
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Viserys: "Oh sorry, wrong ring, just a second <counts out rings> nope nope nope ah, yes, this one."
Lord, thinking about what the fey asked for one of these: "How many of these rings do you have???"
[X] Goldfish
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Sorry for the delay, but this wasn't a significant delay and it did tell us that Ashford is warded in some manner by his Fey associates, though in a really weaksauce manner.
Fey: "This will alert you to the presence of powerful magic and dangerous curses."
Ashford: "My thanks." Doesn't do much for me if my will has already been stolen, though, eh?
And it's not that I'm cheap, just that I want to use the Shadowforged rings rather than letting them collect dust, and Westeros is the best place for them.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Ugh, I'm so mad I agreed to change the vote. That was stupid of me in hindsight, it was a pointless set-up for a diplomatic block and makes us looks suspicious as fuck, since "Shadowmagic" is hardly outside of our bailiwick. Hardly anything is, in fact.
@DragonParadox give me this, can you retroactively include warning him of its inherent flaws before actually handing it over? That's not something I would have avoided before even handing it over.
@DragonParadox give me this, can you retroactively include warning him of its inherent flaws before actually handing it over? That's not something I would have avoided before even handing it over.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Also your addition to the plan solves nothing. We can claim anything we want after getting "caught" with our hand in the cookie jar.
The only thing that makes this just a slight gaffe rather than incriminating outright is the fact that if we wanted to curse or mind control him, we could easily do that without giving him an expensive prop.
It does not, in fact, solve the problem of making it look like we wanted to introduce an inherent flaw in his mental defenses which we could later exploit, however.
The only thing that makes this just a slight gaffe rather than incriminating outright is the fact that if we wanted to curse or mind control him, we could easily do that without giving him an expensive prop.
It does not, in fact, solve the problem of making it look like we wanted to introduce an inherent flaw in his mental defenses which we could later exploit, however.