- Location
- United States
Do we have any idea what type of bound Outsiders they'd have this kind of contract with? The "at greatest need" part makes me thing this is another CR 18+.
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
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
It's a shame the various Courts are so tightly knit. There are a few of them which we could probably get along with fairly well, like the Azures.Tough, but manageable for a Myrkdreki or a Mighty Mind Dragon.
We need to assume these are maxed out, possibly with Mythic Ranks here. That "World Guard" title won't be for show.
I hate swarms... I hate swarms so much.
I'm guessing these are the most powerful in the Azure Court, but I don't know. @DragonParadox, is Highgarden's Rainbow Guard stronger or weaker than the Fey Knights of the Key?
- Location
- United States
Yeah, finding out that none of them are subvertable is just one of many factors leading us down this path. It's a damn shame.
- Location
- ?????????
So next month is the month of the fel curse correct? This will be very interesting that's for sure. We should run it by Bloodraven to see what would happen. Also wasn't there plans to see if we could co-opt the crown to an Imperial Scale?
That is the kind of thing they keep legitimately secret, no one in your service can do more than guess especially since you don't have any previously Azure fey in service.
- Location
- United States
We're leaning towards the Fourth Month for the Twilight of the Court of Stars and the annihilation of their high nobility.
We're spending the next month on three major tasks -- conquest of Qohor, conquest of Norvos, and the campaign against Ymeri.
Quite frankly with Slaver's Bay I'm seriously considering giving up on the entire region at this point. Asmodeus can have it and all the souls therein. The lack of progress with the amount of resources we've thrown there is absurd, and could be put to much better use elsewhere.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
I feel your pain.
I still believe that current system of PCs actiong in reports (See "Swamps Dried") would work better for countering Devils than the direction-less votes we've been throwing their way all this time, but I'll understand if everyone is too salted to bother.
It also may be somewhat OOC to just leave them to Devils. Many COmpanions would disagree.
@Azel, any progress on that turnvote-edit?
- Location
- United States
It'd be OOC to give up, but at a certain point you've just got to read the writing on the wall. That region is toast, and we're wasting valuable manpower and tossing it down an endless sinkhole. We've been there how long now? What do we have to show for it? Asmodeus definitely isn't losing.
EDIT: The thing is I don't doubt that keeping up with our current pattern of sending PCs there isn't going to change shit. We're not going to catch the cult leaders or the head devils. We'll just be led around in circles again. It doesn't feel like there's a point to any of it. At least in other places we have a shot at actually doing something.
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Things should run much smoother now with extra notes and a streamlined action system, no more episodic adventures that turn in circles.
The problem is that the distance between "let him take the region " and "let him take the world" is very slim in the medium term. The reason we haven't gotten a good return on the resources we spent is that we didn't really do anything with them, and the system wasn't designed to fill in the blanks for us.
If we'd had a plan we'd have gotten better results, and if we had actual screen time dedicated to it we'd have done even better. We may not like it, but putting more attention there after we finish with the CoS is the smart thing to do, even at the expense of otherwise fucking up Westeros.
Remember that the first move he made in this plane was to attempt to use a flesh forge to send an endless army of monsters to kill us all. If we hadn't gone there when we did then our first warning would have been them approaching our territory. They aren't going to be content with messing around in four backwater cities, and the longer they're here the worse it's going to get.
We have other knives to juggle, but we can't just give up because we don't feel like doing the job and screwed it up the first time around. That isn't cutting our losses, it's setting ourselves up to lose everything after we weaken Asmodeus' main regional competition.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
@Goldfish, more stuff to apply for the Snare, just in case we pull more than low-CR outsiders into it. It is not like we can't throw money at the problems leisurely, and the more precautions we take - the less we have to worry about.
Symbol of Blinding, it isn't much when encountering high-CR entities, but it would make it impossible for any summoned outsider to see clearly what's happening to them. And relaying their final moments to whoever's they may be connected to, too.
Symbol of Locking can be real good if we re-do the Adamantine grid over the summoning circle a little. But it's more of a 'general Snare upgrade' than for this situation specifically.
Symbol of Pain is more debuff for god of debuff.
Symbol of Weakness is 'just' -3d6 Strength damage. And is still worth placing, imo.
That in mind, how is our "temporary" Snare's looking, again?
Also, which updates are we placing on our regular, it-is-near-SD-Snare?
Symbol of Blinding, it isn't much when encountering high-CR entities, but it would make it impossible for any summoned outsider to see clearly what's happening to them. And relaying their final moments to whoever's they may be connected to, too.
Symbol of Locking can be real good if we re-do the Adamantine grid over the summoning circle a little. But it's more of a 'general Snare upgrade' than for this situation specifically.
Symbol of Pain is more debuff for god of debuff.
I think you may be mixing it up with Symbol of Vulnerability? Which is very fucking good, ofc.
Symbol of Weakness is 'just' -3d6 Strength damage. And is still worth placing, imo.
That in mind, how is our "temporary" Snare's looking, again?
Also, which updates are we placing on our regular, it-is-near-SD-Snare?
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- Location
- Germany
Do we even know that he would have used the resulting armies on the Material Plane?
Might have been meant to reinforce the line for the Bloodwar.
But even if that was the goal, we still stopped it.
And from Slaver's Bay his chances to take over the world are not that much better than from anywhere else.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Symbol of Blinding and Symbol of Pain would both be worth adding to the Snare, too. And yes, I keep getting Symbol of Vulnerability mixed up with Symbol of Weakness. Every effin time...
Symbol of Weakness also wouldn't hurt, either.
We should upgrade the Planetosi Snare first thing next month. Viserys and Dany will be needed at that. Viserys can use Wild Arcana, to cast the various Symbol spells and render them quasi-Permanent with Permanency and copious amounts of diamond dust. He would also be sheathing the floor of the Summoning Circle and the chamber itself in Hardened Adamantine. He can just use a set of Titan's Tools for that, then cast the Transfiguration spell to transform it into Adamantine, then cast Hardening for extra toughness. Transforming the stone into Adamantine isn't any cheaper than actually just using normal Adamantine, but it will be a lot easier to spread and shape it as stone first.
Dany would need to use her Half-Celestial form's Hallow SLA to link the Resist Energy spell to it.
The temporary Demiplanes we'll use for Viserys and Lya to Summon will have basic Forbiddance warding, an inverted Magic Circle Against Evil, a Hallow with a linked Dimensional Anchor, a Mage's Private Sanctum, and maybe a couple Symbol, Vulnerability and Pain at least. They won't need to have the works, since they're not meant to last. We won't need these until at least the 23rd day of the 3rd month, though, since it'll take the first 22 days to get the PoSK ready for Viserys.
I thought we were straight up told that the plan was to start by removing us. The point was to remove the competition with cheap local resources.
You're right in that a well fortified foothold will let him take over from wherever, but the longer Hell digs in the closer to victory it gets. The possibility of other incursion points is irrelevant to how dangerous the one we know actually exists is. If it gets big enough we end up in the same situation or worse than the one we are in right now with the CoS, but against an opponent with a greater motivation to mulch us.
- Location
- Germany
On the other hand, once he holds 3-4 cities that constantly send souls to Baator he has an incentive to defend that place, and not just from us.
If the Warlocks of Qarth cause the next apocalypse (for example by causing an uncontrolled ghostgrass-spread or shit like that) then we don't have to worry about it because Asmodeus stands between us and the issue.
Same thing for everything between SB and Yi-Ti.
- Location
- Germany
Looking at a map of Essos it seems like most of the area between the Imperium and Yi-Ti is currently deserts, mountains and Dothraki Sea.
The only big city in between (and not in SB) is Quarth.
Aside from that there is Lazhareen (which is easy pickings for every side) and some arabyan-sounding cities closer to Yi-Ti that I know literally nothing about.
So we have a lot of land with basically no value and one city that is very likely to be more trouble than its worth as long as it has ancient liches sitting in an extradimensional house of horrors.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Quarth will have to be handled regardless, if what we've seen about them so far is any indication. No OOC knowledge needed, even.
It is just the guys seem pretty much about as passive as Illithids about doing things.
I don't want to grab Slavers' Bay because it's all that important a location... well, aside from being the main location for out "Free the Slaves!"-campaign, the one we haven't yet abandoned IC... at least, not publically.
But because Asmodeus can build it up from where it is into a massive incursion point much faster than if he has to start... pretty much anywhere else right now.
So much so, that I fear if we leave it be completely right now, we won't even be done with Reconquest/Post-Reconquest before he has Forged!Unsullied-armies and Devils start pushing our borders. We can't really afford shit like that, see the shitshow with CoS yesterday.
Aside from what Azel pointed out about our plans, the issue with this line of thought is that it assumes Hell will more or less stop when we want it to, despite having the means and motive to just keep expanding. Why would they stop pushing their own agenda after they have local superiority when they showed no indication of wanting to beforehand?
The best we could possibly hope for is client state, and I kind of doubt that they'd stop there for longer than they need to get the most possible use from us.
Even setting that aside, Viserys motivation isn't just power for the sake of self aggrandizement. That's part of it, but he's also doing it to bring about a better world as he sees it. Literal hell on earth is the kind of thing he'd oppose on its own merits.
- Location
- United States
That isn't the worst part about Qarth.
They have suspicious trees with black bark and blue leaves.
Sound familiar?
That's right, they have anti-weirwoods for their hivemind. I don't even know what we'd call that. The purpledream?
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Plagiarism.
- Location
- Germany
New action plans for the Court of Stars and Slavers Bay:
[] Operation Starfall: After months of work invested into finding ways to sow disunity within the Court of Stars or to gain diplomatic leverage, you stand without having found any amount of success in either endeavor. More worryingly, it has become evident that the Fey possess much more combat power then expected and could spell disaster for the conquest of Westeros, if not the Imperium as a whole. They are a threat that needs to be dealt with and due to gentle means being unsuccessful and the time running out, drastic steps have to be taken.
-[] Part 1 - Holding Action: Resume your current efforts, even though you know them to be futile, so that your enemies are not alerted to the change of tactics. Let your people spy on Fey gathering, subvert minor, unaligned courts and interfere with the CoS' attempts to make pacts with Reacher lords.
--[] Spy on CoS and combat minor Dark Fey: 1x Orphne Fey Lord, 4x Wild Hunt Archers (Mounted) [CR 14], 2x Wild Hunt Scouts (Houndmaster Hounds x3) [CR 16], Osryx (Very Old Myrkdreki), 6x Verdant Phoenixes, 10x Guardian Nagas, 5x Heralds
--[] Find and subvert minor courts: Glyra + Feytroupe, Liomond Lashare, Ser Dregaire, Dirriz the Faerie Dragon, Vrath the Serpentfolk Hexblade, 1x Asura Upasunda (CR 9), 4x Asura Vayphaks (CR 5), Azema
--[] Spy on and subvert Reacher nobles: Alyssa Crowl, Danar Crowl, Ser Aubert Flowers, Velen, Xor, 3x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), The Misfits
--[] Reserve & Aid: 25x Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1x Falxugon, 1x Gancanagh (CR 4) - Garantos, 22x Legion Devils, 4x Salikotal / Vengeance Devil
-[] Part 2 - Prepare the Great Sacrifice: Under utmost secrecy, prepare a great sacrifice ritual to the Old Gods, R'hllor, the Ferryman and Yss to use the Crown of Flowers as a conduit to kill the leadership and high-level combatants of the Court of Stars.
--[] Riz'Neth, Soft Strider, Nirah, the Champion of Yss (CR 20), Aife, Herald of the Ferryman (CR 22)
-[] Part 3 - The Great Summoning: Summon as many Fiends as you possibly can to fuel the ritual.
--[] Summoners: Viserys, Lya (1st Body)
--[] Guards: Dany, Richard, Vee, Zherys, Waymar, Malarys, Tyene, Adamantine Golem (Monk 1)
--[] Minion for guarding and processing: Mereth, 10x Heralds, 30x Veteran Erynies, 20x Glass Golems, 10x Blood Clot Molds, 10x Black Brutes, 2x Greater Blood Clot Molds, 2x Black Champions, 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), Balerion, 8x Fiery Dragonbeasts (CR15)
-[] Part 4 - Culmination: Perform the great ritual at the end of the month, sacrificing the thousands of fiends called for this purpose. Then immediately assemble a strike-force with all available Companions to either confirm the demise of the Court of Stars leadership or to assault their seat of power to finish off what is left.
--[] Everyone from the other parts, plus everyone else who is available.
[] Operation Salted Earth: The situation in the Ghiscari lands continues to be tense, but for now it seems viable to scale back operations and merely observe Baators movements. Recent attacks should have disrupted the enemies plans enough to move your assets to more pressing fronts while keeping a decently sized contingent to look for further developments.
-[] New Ghis: The main goal here is to look into the political situation of the polity and to see how deep ties to the other cities have remained in face of the sea blockade cutting them off from each other. Also look into their current trade relations and the economic stability of the island while cataloging relevant information for a future invasion.
--[] Alysande Redsail, Kira Windgraced, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 4x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Mereen: Look into Devil activities, disrupt them if possible and keep an eye on the land trade coming through the city. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Shara Rogare, Teana, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Yunkai: Look into Devil activities and disrupt them if possible. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Mia the Inquisitor, Shadow!Tor, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Astapor: Look into Devil activities, disrupt them if possible and keep an eye on the (former) training facilities of the Unsullied for any activity. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Anya the Inquisitor, Wyla, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Assassin reserve: To be called in when there are opportunities to kill important figures who have been subverted by Baator, or to kill high-value assets of Baator.
--[] Morwyn and Tuin, Aradia the Huntress. 1x Orphne Fey Lord, 2x Very Old Myrkdreki Dragons, (CR 15) (twins), 2x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 1x Umbral Spies
-[] Combat reserve: To be called in if there is heavy combat expected or to assault Devil strongholds.
--[] 2x Heralds, 3x Glass Golems, 10x Blood Clot Molds, 10x Black Brutes, 2x Greater Blood Clot Molds, 15x Black Champions, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10)
[] Operation Starfall: After months of work invested into finding ways to sow disunity within the Court of Stars or to gain diplomatic leverage, you stand without having found any amount of success in either endeavor. More worryingly, it has become evident that the Fey possess much more combat power then expected and could spell disaster for the conquest of Westeros, if not the Imperium as a whole. They are a threat that needs to be dealt with and due to gentle means being unsuccessful and the time running out, drastic steps have to be taken.
-[] Part 1 - Holding Action: Resume your current efforts, even though you know them to be futile, so that your enemies are not alerted to the change of tactics. Let your people spy on Fey gathering, subvert minor, unaligned courts and interfere with the CoS' attempts to make pacts with Reacher lords.
--[] Spy on CoS and combat minor Dark Fey: 1x Orphne Fey Lord, 4x Wild Hunt Archers (Mounted) [CR 14], 2x Wild Hunt Scouts (Houndmaster Hounds x3) [CR 16], Osryx (Very Old Myrkdreki), 6x Verdant Phoenixes, 10x Guardian Nagas, 5x Heralds
--[] Find and subvert minor courts: Glyra + Feytroupe, Liomond Lashare, Ser Dregaire, Dirriz the Faerie Dragon, Vrath the Serpentfolk Hexblade, 1x Asura Upasunda (CR 9), 4x Asura Vayphaks (CR 5), Azema
--[] Spy on and subvert Reacher nobles: Alyssa Crowl, Danar Crowl, Ser Aubert Flowers, Velen, Xor, 3x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), The Misfits
--[] Reserve & Aid: 25x Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1x Falxugon, 1x Gancanagh (CR 4) - Garantos, 22x Legion Devils, 4x Salikotal / Vengeance Devil
-[] Part 2 - Prepare the Great Sacrifice: Under utmost secrecy, prepare a great sacrifice ritual to the Old Gods, R'hllor, the Ferryman and Yss to use the Crown of Flowers as a conduit to kill the leadership and high-level combatants of the Court of Stars.
--[] Riz'Neth, Soft Strider, Nirah, the Champion of Yss (CR 20), Aife, Herald of the Ferryman (CR 22)
-[] Part 3 - The Great Summoning: Summon as many Fiends as you possibly can to fuel the ritual.
--[] Summoners: Viserys, Lya (1st Body)
--[] Guards: Dany, Richard, Vee, Zherys, Waymar, Malarys, Tyene, Adamantine Golem (Monk 1)
--[] Minion for guarding and processing: Mereth, 10x Heralds, 30x Veteran Erynies, 20x Glass Golems, 10x Blood Clot Molds, 10x Black Brutes, 2x Greater Blood Clot Molds, 2x Black Champions, 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), Balerion, 8x Fiery Dragonbeasts (CR15)
-[] Part 4 - Culmination: Perform the great ritual at the end of the month, sacrificing the thousands of fiends called for this purpose. Then immediately assemble a strike-force with all available Companions to either confirm the demise of the Court of Stars leadership or to assault their seat of power to finish off what is left.
--[] Everyone from the other parts, plus everyone else who is available.
[] Operation Salted Earth: The situation in the Ghiscari lands continues to be tense, but for now it seems viable to scale back operations and merely observe Baators movements. Recent attacks should have disrupted the enemies plans enough to move your assets to more pressing fronts while keeping a decently sized contingent to look for further developments.
-[] New Ghis: The main goal here is to look into the political situation of the polity and to see how deep ties to the other cities have remained in face of the sea blockade cutting them off from each other. Also look into their current trade relations and the economic stability of the island while cataloging relevant information for a future invasion.
--[] Alysande Redsail, Kira Windgraced, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 4x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Mereen: Look into Devil activities, disrupt them if possible and keep an eye on the land trade coming through the city. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Shara Rogare, Teana, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Yunkai: Look into Devil activities and disrupt them if possible. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Mia the Inquisitor, Shadow!Tor, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Astapor: Look into Devil activities, disrupt them if possible and keep an eye on the (former) training facilities of the Unsullied for any activity. Also keep an eye out for the Sons of the Harpy and the Unsullied of the city.
--[] Anya the Inquisitor, Wyla, 2x Umbral Spies, 1x Umbral Stalkers, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10), 20x Vigilant Briars (CR 4), 2x Vigilant Kelps (CR 4), 5x Watchmoles (CR 6), 1x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 5x Glass Golems
-[] Assassin reserve: To be called in when there are opportunities to kill important figures who have been subverted by Baator, or to kill high-value assets of Baator.
--[] Morwyn and Tuin, Aradia the Huntress. 1x Orphne Fey Lord, 2x Very Old Myrkdreki Dragons, (CR 15) (twins), 2x Adult Mind Dragons (CR 15), 1x Umbral Spies
-[] Combat reserve: To be called in if there is heavy combat expected or to assault Devil strongholds.
--[] 2x Heralds, 3x Glass Golems, 10x Blood Clot Molds, 10x Black Brutes, 2x Greater Blood Clot Molds, 15x Black Champions, 2x Vigilant Hunters (CR 10)
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- Location
- United States
@Azel, if it helps, don't forget we already have samples of Mammon's venom and Tiamat's venom. A bit of extra divine spite mixed in there certainly won't hurt. And of course we need to pay for Yss' venom since we don't actually have that yet, but I'm assuming that's a vital component here since it quite literally "grievously injures deities" with its potency.
Also I'm assuming we're using the Staff of Ages to conduct the ritual long-range to target the entire leadership of the court?
Ideally at some point we find a map or a guide in the form of a Court of Stars defector. The death of the Queen is the top priority, as is claiming her corpse and any artifacts she has.
Alright, let's see how our operations in Slaver's Bay progress.
Also kudos for the badass name. Perfectly fitting.
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egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
I've been looking, and failing to find teh stats for these for the last some minutes :/
@Azel, we also should have a massive stockpile of Lollth's super-spider's poison, if it counts for anything. Arbitrarily so, even, since we... kinda can grow an much as we want at any moment?
Flesh-forges are like that :/
There's a reason I thought about flooding the CItadel with aerosol-form of it. Stat damage of the sort would incapacitate most of the people there in 2-5 rounds. And we can make a lot of it.
Also, proposed turnvote edited with @Azel's stuff.
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