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

Twenty Ninth Day of the First Month 294 AC

If there is one thing you had not expected to discuss today it is parenthood, being neither a father yourself nor particularly interested in becoming one in the near future, but needs must. There is the seed of trouble here and one that goes deeper than corruption and wasted coin. "You should tell the truth and naught but that for in this age a lie, however well crafted, is too easily unraveled. I would say spend more time with your son in the absence of his mother, but it goes deeper than that. You should spend more time with all your children, secure a sense of loyalty and duty."

The sea-dragon nods, his blue-green scales casting a crown of light about his head in the magelight of the chamber. "I can see the logic of it, but there are quite many of them and most of the times not particularly interesting company. I would call them slow, but in truth they are half-mortal. It would be foolish of me to blame them for the aspect of their nature I decided for them." He pauses for a moment thoughtfully, though not to what you might prefer. "Tell me, do you know someone knowlegeble in djinn courtship? Perhaps I have been going about this the wrong way. If I provide them a leader who is more capable...."

You bite back a sigh, it's not that Relath is lacking in wit or wisdom, he simply does not understand the deeper motivations of those who make up the vast majority of his subjects, mostly because he does not care to. "A younger sibling brighter in magic might be resented and plotted against. If you have more children than you can handle..." you make no attempt to hide your disapproval of that fact. "Hand them off to families loyal to you with which to forge bonds."

"Fostering like they practice in the Sunset Lands?" Relath tilts his head in askance. "I had thought to simply hand them over to the Scholarum once they showed control of the magic in their blood, but that seems a fair notion." He chuckles again. "If I did not know better I would suspect you of ulterior motives, cousin. The House of Mirrors is about to gain quite a bit of silver from me."

So much for your disapproval making any impact on him, you shake your head as the Lord of Tolos takes human shape again to more comfortably fit in the corridor beyond your solar. Still, as foibles go it is far lesser to those of many magisters not one thousandth as useful as him.


News from the south is thankfully lacking in surprises. The efforts to improve life in the Basilisk Isles have taken to an almost frantic pace with everything from marks to engineers to skilled craftsmen taking the southern road in ever greater numbers. You would call Saan's reaction giddy if the man were not likely to take offense at it. Still, for all he waxed poetical about the wonders of culture and ease upon warm southern waters he has not neglected keeping his ships in good shape and drilling his soldiers. He knows full well what sort of terrors the jungles of the mainland holds, far beyond the painted lizards.

Meanwhile in Naath the efforts to increase the quality of schooling have gone remarkably well. Locals and new immigrants alike understand that knowledge can be power or wealth and opportunity, not least because of Wyla's influence, and so much to your surprise there is a proposal before you. One for an institution of Higher Learning in Naath, nothing to the size of the Academy in Sorcerer's Deep, but still an interesting notion, a University of Botanical and Zoological Studies that would work in close partnership with the Scholarum, perhaps even the Flesh Forge of Gogossos, to understand the strange creatures of Sothoryos, spreading knowledge of life studies that could be useful in a myriad of fields from the tending of crops and livestock to medicine and healing.


On the one hand the enthusiasm translates into actual money, partly from Wyla but also from other interested parties to help found the university, on the other hand Naath is still out of the way and has a limited migration draw due to the peril of their native butterflies.

Do you go ahead with the University of Botanical and Zoological Studies in Naath?

[] Yes (One Provincial Action locked 30 Progress; Cost to the treasury 10,000 IM; other half of the costs paid for from local sources +1d6 extra progress added per month automatically)

[] No, Naath is too isolated for the investment

OOC: Only two provincial actions marked Other, a few odds and ends from minor characters and the tax code to go before we are done with the month.