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

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So after reading the kerfuffle i have decided to ignore morality as a thing now in this quest. I think it would be the best way to achive harmony. From now on to me viseryis is doll controlled by the thread.
 
DragonParadox said:
"You know..." For a moment you think Lya is about to address the matter of the former slavers, but her eyes are on the mound of corpses. "I think the Old Valyrians could have conquered all of Essos and beyond with their Forges, if only they weren't afraid of enthroning the flesh-smiths over it all."

"Probably," you agree. "Though as magic waned they would have struggled to keep their grip."

"Vee would hate to have to rule anything, Qyburn and Elaheh would find if a bother and Lady Caleris has had enough of it in her first lifetime," Lya says, never taking her eyes off the mound of corpses. "Magic is waxing now."

"I know," you do not even try to hide your smile of satisfaction.
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Huh, we joke about Big Tiddied Catgirls and the squandered use of the Fleshforge but this is an interesting take.

You assign the Fleshsmiths to keep the masses content with Catgirls and other frivolities and by that very token direct their energies in a harmless manner.

Engineered institutional brain drain out of well founded fear.

Very cool DP.
 
OK, now that that has been settled as much as it could have at least

Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on May 28, 2020 at 7:19 AM, finished with 80 posts and 11 votes.
  • [X] See what means there are to gain entrance. A trap isn't full proof, or else immune to being sprung from the outside.
    -[X] If it is ensured that there is only one possible avenue one might gain access to either information or a clear shot on anyone involved, that means that all other vectors of approach were carefully assessed and pruned away.
    -[X] Double check for false trails or obvious baits in anticipation of an enemy just as paranoid as you are.
    --[X] If it seems too good to be true, like an idiotic yet conspicuously high ranking individual left alone, invited and well-placed to grant an entourage of guests access to the event, it probably is.
    --[X] Leave room for doubt, or even insert a group of reasonably competent Inquisition agents/Investigators to accompany such an individual, covered in enough wards and their own modestly enchanted equipment to be inconspicuous in the case of mages, to the average interests, yet conspicuous to someone making use of True Sight.
    --[X] They will enter with a good enough cover to hold up passingly but mostly to spring an ambush whereby the less well-placed group (containing Tyene, Teana, Azema, Liomond and the Asura Upasunda (CR 9) ) are ready to intervene.
    --[X] The Misfits and Morwyn and Tuin will wait nearby prepared to cut off anyone escaping on foot (mostly meaning targets of opportunity), while Aradia and Nuri will provide overwatch for them.
    ---[X] Everyone in this operation will be provided with Planeshift + Teleportation and Sending Charms, mostly meaning the Inquisition agents acting as bait, who will escape as soon as the ambush is sprung if possible using the Planeshift ones to escape to prepared locations in Armun Kelisk or the Opaline Vault, or if they have a good shot and have the spells for it will try to aid the group counter-ambushing.
    ----[X] You will have one fall-back position for short-range retreat to regroup at, and a more discrete and distant rendezvous point. Those escaping outright will be expected at our Embassies in the Opaline Vault and Armun Kelisk, respectively.
    [X] Invite yourself into the party as Dread Sorcerer Tiserys Vargaryen.
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Is it just me or has Azel been directly involved in DP giving serious consideration to just quitting for days or longer on this quest everytime?
The other names change, but Azel is always there it seems.
 
lancelot said:
I'm not saying he starts it, but as far as I've seen he has been a part of every blow up. That isn't a personal attack just a statement of fact.
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Thats because this thread has a handfull of active members, can't fight with people that don't exists. And i doubt you initial statements is true either, i remember quite a few salt fest where azel wasn't involved.
 
Acolyte said:
Thats because this thread has a handfull of active members, can't fight with people that don't exists. And i doubt you initial statements is true either, i remember quite a few salt fest where azel wasn't involved.
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I'm not talking about salt about talking about shit getting bad enough that DP has to walk away for a while. Those kind of arguments always seem to have Azel involved. I've been reading from pretty close to the start and DP having to wash his hands of the quest for a few days is a rarity. But like I said seems I'm honest enough to admit that I might have forgotten one or two somewhere.
 
lancelot said:
I'm not talking about salt about talking about shit getting bad enough that DP has to walk away for a while. Those kind of arguments always seem to have Azel involved. I've been reading from pretty close to the start and DP having to wash his hands of the quest for a few days is a rarity. But like I said seems I'm honest enough to admit that I might have forgotten one or two somewhere.
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I doubt he was involved in everyone of the kerfuffles, and anyway regardless of the truth, you pointing out the fact doesn't help anyone and only inflames already hurt feelings.
 
Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on May 28, 2020 at 7:19 AM, finished with 80 posts and 11 votes.
  • [X] See what means there are to gain entrance. A trap isn't full proof, or else immune to being sprung from the outside.
    -[X] If it is ensured that there is only one possible avenue one might gain access to either information or a clear shot on anyone involved, that means that all other vectors of approach were carefully assessed and pruned away.
    -[X] Double check for false trails or obvious baits in anticipation of an enemy just as paranoid as you are.
    --[X] If it seems too good to be true, like an idiotic yet conspicuously high ranking individual left alone, invited and well-placed to grant an entourage of guests access to the event, it probably is.
    --[X] Leave room for doubt, or even insert a group of reasonably competent Inquisition agents/Investigators to accompany such an individual, covered in enough wards and their own modestly enchanted equipment to be inconspicuous in the case of mages, to the average interests, yet conspicuous to someone making use of True Sight.
    --[X] They will enter with a good enough cover to hold up passingly but mostly to spring an ambush whereby the less well-placed group (containing Tyene, Teana, Azema, Liomond and the Asura Upasunda (CR 9) ) are ready to intervene.
    --[X] The Misfits and Morwyn and Tuin will wait nearby prepared to cut off anyone escaping on foot (mostly meaning targets of opportunity), while Aradia and Nuri will provide overwatch for them.
    ---[X] Everyone in this operation will be provided with Planeshift + Teleportation and Sending Charms, mostly meaning the Inquisition agents acting as bait, who will escape as soon as the ambush is sprung if possible using the Planeshift ones to escape to prepared locations in Armun Kelisk or the Opaline Vault, or if they have a good shot and have the spells for it will try to aid the group counter-ambushing.
    ----[X] You will have one fall-back position for short-range retreat to regroup at, and a more discrete and distant rendezvous point. Those escaping outright will be expected at our Embassies in the Opaline Vault and Armun Kelisk, respectively.
    [X] Invite yourself into the party as Dread Sorcerer Tiserys Vargaryen.
Click to expand...
 
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Interlude DCCCVIII: Devils Hunt
  • Threadmarks
    • Devils Hunt ​

    Seventh Day of the First Month 294 AC

    Meereen, Slaver's Bay

    It had seemed like a straightforward plan, send in a few inquisition agents to flush out any traps while they waited in the wings to ambush the ambushers. Unfortunately whoever their foe was had realized it as well. There had been no lack of potential ways to enter the Feast of Wrath, from bribes in the right pocket to donations to the Graces, to a random name draw for common folk. The trouble was there seemed to be assassins around every corner willing to trade their lives to slay 'the Dragon's Dogs'. Teana had lost one of her shadows in one of these ambushes and Azema was almost buried beneath a bridge broken with alchemical explosives. Six inquisitorial agents had died outright forcing the party to retreat with their bodies from the scene.

    And retreat was very much warranted. Detachments of Unsullied seemed to appear as though out of empty air, though Amala assured them they were simply being directed with the aid of diabolic mind-speech and careful strategy. If only the damn asura could give them more useful advice. Teana cursed as she covered their escape, pouring the stuff of shadows into her wounds to seal them. It wasn't that they couldn't defeat any single detachment of slave soldiers, for all these were more inured to pain and hardship and better trained than those sold off further west, they would not have been able to stand against them long, but if they revealed themselves for who and what they truly were it would only drive more of the Ghiscari nobles into the arms to Hell. The troops did not exist to conquer Slaver's Bay at the moment, the King's gaze turned westwards, so all killing large numbers of Unsullied would achieve would be a pile of dead slaves and even more angry and frightened masters.

    The worst part of it was that there were no devils blatantly among the slaves, organizers to pick out, capture and interrogate as was apparently standard Inquisition procedure. The damn things were gone before the slave soldiers even attacked, leaving behind their tools to fight in their place.

    ***​

    "This time we've got them," Lady Tyene said, teeth clenched in anger at all the times they had to flee, at all the agents who had perished springing traps. It surely looked like it. The Shiz'Azar, literally the clay drawing in the old Ghiscari tongue, was a random lottery of all Mereenese freemen over the age of forty with six lucky winners having the good fortune of mingling with the highborn at the Feast of Wrath. Most importantly the drawing took place before the steps of the Great Pyramid in an empty plaza with precious little space for assassins. Perhaps Aradia or someone equally skilled and blessed with magic could manage a shot from the window of the nearest palaces, but no mortal bowmen. There also weren't any Unsullied there. If the devils wanted to reveal themselves at high noon in front of what looked like half the city... well that would do them more harm than good.

    Ensuring the right pieces of clay were at the top of the pile, or at least making the young Grace doing the drawing drew theirs, was child's play for someone with Lady Tyene's skills in illusion.

    Their names were in, or rather the names of the people they would be impersonating for the feast, but there were only four of them. Who were they to send under those pretenses and dared they send more unseen?

    Who do you send to the Feast of Wrath to potentially stop the planned assassination?

    [] Write in (Up to four under assumed identities of people who are supposed to be there)

    OOC: Good call on the tokens to teleport out, a lot more people got out than would have otherwise, but poisoned arrowheads meant for PCs fired from ambush to not leave most NPCs alive to heal when they connect.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Ahh, it is so refreshing to not bulldoze over a threat for once.

    I should be cursing Baator, but I only feel like congratulating them, even if some goons died
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Devils Hunt ​

    Seventh Day of the First Month 294 AC

    Meereen, Slaver's Bay

    It had seemed like straightforward plan, send in a few inquisition agents to flush out any traps while they waited in the wings to ambush the ambushers. Unfortunately, whoever their foe was had realized it as well. There had been no lack of potential ways to enter the Feast of Wrath, from bribes in the right pocket to donations to the Graces, to a random name draw for common folk. The trouble was there seemed to be assassins around every corner willing to trade their lives to slay 'the Dragon's Dogs'. Teana had lost one of her shadows in one of these ambushes and Azema was almost buried beneath a bridge broken with alchemical explosives. Six inquisitorial agents had died outright, forcing the party to retreat with their bodies from the scene.

    And retreat was very much warranted. Detachments of Unsullied seemed to appear as though out of empty air, though Amala assured them they were simply being directed with the aid of diabolic mind-speech and careful strategy. If only the damn asura could give them more useful advice. Teana cursed as she covered their escape, pouring the stuff of shadows into her wounds to seal them. It wasn't that they couldn't defeat any single detachment of slave soldiers, for all these were more inured to pain and hardship and better trained than those sold off further west, the Unsullied would not have been able to stand against them long, but if they revealed themselves for who and what they truly were, it would only drive more of the Giscari nobles into the arms of Hell. The troops did not exist to conquer Slaver's Bay at the moment, the king's gaze turned eastwards, so all killing large numbers of Unsullied would achieve would be a pile of dead slaves and even more angry and frightened masters.

    The worst part of it was that there were no devils blatantly among the slaves, no organizers to pick out, capture, and interrogate as was apparently standard inquisition procedure. The damn things were gone before the slave soldiers even attacked, leaving behind their tools to fight in their place.

    ***​

    "This time we've got them," Lady Tyene said, teeth clenched in anger at all the times they had to flee, at all the agents who had perished springing traps. It surely looked like it. The Shiz'Azar, literally the clay drawing in the old Ghyscari tongue, was a random lottery of all Mereenese free men over the age of forty with six lucky winners having the good fortune of mingling with the highborn at the Feast of Wrath. Most importantly, the drawing took place before the steps of the Great Pyramid in am empty plaza with precious little space for assassins. Perhaps Aradia or someone equally skilled and blessed with magic could manage a shot from the window of the nearest palaces, but no mortal bowmen. There also weren't any Unsullled here. If the devils wanted to reveal themselves at high noon in front of what looked like half the city, well that would do them more harm than good.

    Ensuring the right pieces of clay were at the top of the pile, or at least making the young Grace doing the drawing think they were, was child's play for someone with Lady Tyene's skills in illusion.

    Their names were in, or rather the names of the people they would be impersonating for the feast, but there were only four of them. Who were they to send under those pretenses, and dared they send more unseen?

    Who do you send to the Feast of Wrath to potentially stop the planned assassination?

    [] Write in (Up to four under assumed identities of people who are supposed to be there)

    OOC: Good call on the tokens to teleport out, a lot more people got out than would have otherwise, but poisoned arrow heads meant for PCs fired from ambush to not leave most NPCs alive to heal when they connect. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.
     
    DP, does Tyene think that this is Hell poison?
    I wonder if this was obviously supplied by devils, or if high-level poisons are just something essosi magisters have handy.
    It would make sense too. If anything would survive the waning of magic and still keep the interest of magisters, it's magic poison. And I guess it could also be the result of R&D - if the magisters had to search for a magical counter to the Dragon, a way to harvest super-deadly poison for their troops makes a lot of sense (although my first guess would have been mind control).

    If Tyene can't tell at a glance, I guess it'll be something to try to discover and loot once we conquer them.
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    DP, does Tyene think that this is Hell poison?
    I wonder if this was obviously supplied by devils, or if high-level poisons are just something essosi magisters have handy.
    It would make sense too. If anything would survive the waning of magic and still keep the interest of magisters, it's magic poison. And I guess it could also be the result of R&D - if the magisters had to search for a magical counter to the Dragon, a way to harvest super-deadly poison for their troops makes a lot of sense (although my first guess would have been mind control).

    If Tyene can't tell at a glance, I guess it'll be something to try to discover and loot once we conquer them.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    She suspects it is natural, in the sense that all its ingredients were probably harvested on the Prime Material.
     
    These four are the most powerful and capable among those we have available on the scene. This will give us two melee focused and two magic focused people for the group. Azema is a bit low on the HD scale, but she makes up for it through her build and gear.

    [X] Tyene, Teana, Azema, and Liomond
    -[X] Secure the remains of the slain Inquisition agents. When they are returned to SD, we will attempt to Raise those who are willing to return.
     
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