Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
"Special Area Forty-Two".
Your protest votes and suffering sustains me.
Your protest votes and suffering sustains me.
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
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- 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
Let's face facts, if DP wanted to give the crowd who wanted a minimum of actual politicking this turn to have a fair shake, Asha wouldn't have been within arms reach of us and made a personal request to go charging off to convince a Reach noblewoman "no honestly, I'm a great choice for your son, I've got the plunder from all the slavers I robbed to prove it" as the core basis of her argument.
Likely if he didn't anticipate how ruinous that could go for some of our political maneuvering, we would be having a conversation early next month about how Horas is going home to convince his parents to change their minds after Asha failed miserably to make any argument that might actually hold water.
Pun fully intended, enjoy!
Likely if he didn't anticipate how ruinous that could go for some of our political maneuvering, we would be having a conversation early next month about how Horas is going home to convince his parents to change their minds after Asha failed miserably to make any argument that might actually hold water.
Pun fully intended, enjoy!
- Location
- Germany
I was merely using the nomenclature used by others. The message is supposed to be read as a statement that I do not plan and will actively resist any attempts to a political or administrative unit that covers fully and exclusively the landmass of the continent known as Westeros.
It is important to show in deeds and symbols that this is neithee a restoration if the old regime, with a weak king presiding over largely independent realms, nor a repeat of Aegons Conquest, which changed little in the preexisting power dynamics of the time.
- Location
- Reno Nv
Quick question, but did we create a new symbol of the Empire yet, or are we waiting for the Reconquista of Westeros?
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
A stylized 'I' in the shape of a dragon.
No, not really, the closest we have is the Three-Headed Dragon of House Targaryen, but there's nothing saying we can't create a national flag or sigil or something of that nature.
- Location
- ferreries
I propose we have Viserys start refering to our conquest as "the administrative reorganization of the western provinces", or "the pacification of the western provinces". Really, the especific name doesn't matter as long as it properly comunicates Viserys opinions on the worth of "Westeros" as a political entity.
- Location
- Germany
I've been mentally using "the pacification of the western provinces" for a while now.
- Location
- France
Ah, I see. You and @Azel have a interpretation of "Louis XIV was definitely a better ruler for most of his subjects then Josef Stalin" that is wildly different from mine. I was mostly thinking "how likely is a citizen of his country likely to be killed by him for no reason". Because yeah, Louis was definitely more competent than Stalin.
IMO you're underestimating Asha. She has a very valuable argument : I'll have the Iron Islands, and Viserys is obviously pulling out all the stops to fix it up. It's got manpower, experienced captains who've been doing more and more trading for years now, and now it's got an LP who is swimming in royal favor. Basically it's definitely on the up and up, and is wealthier and more militarily and politically significant than any Reach house they might want to marry their son to.
If Horas' parents went on about "the whole place will be overrun with monsters in six weeks", that's when she can mention how good she is at killing monsters, etc.
EDIT: This is a decent point she could make, but obviously it would still not be an easy sell. She's an Ironborn trying to marry well in the Reach, after all.
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Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Asha has largely been doing little actual ruling though and only just gained ownership of her own ship. Which she did by... doing exactly what she was accused of (albeit upon targets no one in Westeros will shed tears over).
Granted if she had spent the last year doing nothing except social combat and administrative projects, I would definitely trust her with this conversation because that's just it.
The majority of the work that Asha has ahead of her isn't really so much running a fleet. She can delegate that to numerous people. She has no shortage of competent captains.
It is fundamentally re-working everything about her lands, from agriculture, to administration, religion and finance. Knowing how to balance her ledger (or delegate that to the point of anti-corruption) is more important than even making sure a mercantile enterprise is profitable in the short term. We have more invested in a return of profits than she does, since that's how we're getting our money back. What she should worry about is pushback and interference, and knowing how to apply the new tools of the system she tacitly is using to replace the old one is essential, especially if she is weighing more on her political allies overseas to help solidify her rule than she is the local ones (who we have already mostly bribed, granted).
The fact that we have to keep the locals lubricated in wealth while this is all going on just means she is going to have to carefully build up a stock of diversified influence if she wants to rule the Iron Islands in more than name alone, which she and most nobles would desire, but aspiring toward Doran Martell's level of unmatched control over his territory is a fine ambition for most, so long as it doesn't go beyond it.
Granted if she had spent the last year doing nothing except social combat and administrative projects, I would definitely trust her with this conversation because that's just it.
The majority of the work that Asha has ahead of her isn't really so much running a fleet. She can delegate that to numerous people. She has no shortage of competent captains.
It is fundamentally re-working everything about her lands, from agriculture, to administration, religion and finance. Knowing how to balance her ledger (or delegate that to the point of anti-corruption) is more important than even making sure a mercantile enterprise is profitable in the short term. We have more invested in a return of profits than she does, since that's how we're getting our money back. What she should worry about is pushback and interference, and knowing how to apply the new tools of the system she tacitly is using to replace the old one is essential, especially if she is weighing more on her political allies overseas to help solidify her rule than she is the local ones (who we have already mostly bribed, granted).
The fact that we have to keep the locals lubricated in wealth while this is all going on just means she is going to have to carefully build up a stock of diversified influence if she wants to rule the Iron Islands in more than name alone, which she and most nobles would desire, but aspiring toward Doran Martell's level of unmatched control over his territory is a fine ambition for most, so long as it doesn't go beyond it.
Vote closed
- Location
- United States
Good thing is both are well aware of their shortcomings and are more than happy to lean on minions (Rodrik the Reader in Asha's case) and on the Imperium itself. I'm glad we don't have to beat into their heads that they really do need our support to function.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I made no comments, but I am largely expecting this total reliance to last for a couple of generations at the least. Viserys is a nosy busy-body at the best of times, having our finger pressed on the scales of bureaucratic convenience being too useful to cast aside shouldn't ever be difficult. You might even have time for a hobby...
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
We do have a Falxugon working for/with the Inquisition, but that's the closest we've to a Contract one.
- Location
- Argentina
Odd that by this point we still don't have even one. Their expertise would be welcome sometimes.
- Location
- Germany
There might not be that much nobility left in a few generations. At least not as they afe now with meaningful power over their fiefs.
The behemoth of a intercontinental sized bureaucracy will likely crush most of them.
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Part MMMDXXIII: In King's Colors
In King's Colors
Twentieth Day of the First Month 294 AC
"No matter how well or ill the conversation in the Arbor goes Horas will know that you kept him from it intentionally," you point out. "Wars have been lost and realms sundered because those involved did not converse freely. While I do not expect keeping this from Horas would end quite so poorly, it is still far preferable to be honest with those close to us."
"Now I'm going to have to wear a bloody dress or he'll feel he has to defend that, probably mentioning my axe-work in the doing," Asha sighs but she does not speak against the matter further, you suspect because you echoed her own doubts on the matter.
"You do not actually have to wear a dress, just seem to," you try to cheer her up.
"Oh yes I do, Lord and Lady Redwyne use bound spells of true sight, strong ones. They would notice the glamour even if they couldn't see through it," she replies in frustration.
"Naval colors," you muse, thinking through the hurdles ahead perhaps a little too quickly to judge by Asha's expression. "A dress would do more harm than good, you would feel ill at ease trying to play a part you have no love for, but a naval officer's garb would make it clear that you sail under my banner with all that entails."
"That I have to share the plunder?" she asks innocently. She isn't doing a very good job of it but...
"Have you been spending time around Dany?"
"Yeah, she's been curious about Yi Ti, and not the stuff that goes into reports," Asha replies. "You know..."
"Yes, I am aware no report can encapsulate the whole of a land. That does not man they shouldn't be filed," you chide in jest.
"I'd rather wear a dress," she grumbles as she carefully pats herself, standard Inquisition procedure to make sure one had not a acquired a stowaway in an unusual environment.
"You could always write up reports while in a dress," you point out, earning a briefly horrified expression at the mental image.
"At least now I know what all those devils you are hiring see in you," she counters instantly.
Ser Richard's lips might have twitched into the faintest shadow of a smile, but you would need a dragon's sight to notice.
***
Horas is as surprised as one might have expected at the realization that Asha had intended to travel to the Arbor and he is rather embarrassed to see you involved. "I'm sure mother will come around, there's no need to..."
"Yes, I'm sure she'll stop insinuating that I spread my legs to half the sailors at the docks just on her own," the young Greyjoy scoffs, causing poor Horas to turn so red his freckles vanish into a sea of crimson, but he does not deny that his lady mother had implied just that in a letter.
Looks like you have your work cut out for you, or rather Asha does, but she is willing to take advice on how to approach the Redwynes.
How should Asha present herself the the Redwynes and persuade them of the wisdom of their son's association with her?
[] Write in
OOC: A bit of character interaction, it's been a while since we saw Viserys and Asha together so I figured it was worth showing a bit of that with the banter while also exploring a bit how her character has changed.
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