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

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Offering and Oath ​

Thirtieth Day of the Third Month 294 AC

The flames burn high in the temple of the Lord of Light and bright rubies flicker in anticipation at the sights below. Offerings of food, wine, and fine works had been fed to the pyre begging for the intercession of R'hllor the Red. Tthe blood of beasts had been shed here, the blood of supplicants willingly given, but never the blood of unwilling sacrifices, the blood of fiends. Or at least you hoped there had been no such bloodletting. It would be rather unfortunate for the mood of the hour if you had to arrest the Red God's priests when you plan to make offerings to his honor and glory in battle.

At the back of your mind a fire burns, the recollection of a man ages dead floats to the surface, a voice like honey and saffron. "Be at peace, no law has been broken in this place."

You stop in your tracks, to the surprise and perhaps worry of the priests who accompanied you into this hall. Still you must know. "How are you speaking to me?" Then the deeper question. "How did you read the thought?"

"Be at peace, young king, your wards are as fine as mortal hands can craft, but in choosing to give offerings to me by your own hand you open yourself to me." The Lord of Light replies with what might be amusement, like wafting incense. "Even in this place and in this hour, I may only look upon that part of your mind that concerns my domains, which you must agree the prospect of arresting my servants qualifies as."

Somehow you had not expected humor, your last meeting with the flame that had grown to become the Lord of Light did not leave you with the impression that he could be so... lighthearted.

As you begin to set up for the ritual, seals of gold and quicksilver ink, ash of faithful priests and martyr's bone drawn from the reliquary in Volantis, the voice of the god speaks again in the stillness of your mind. "To most I am not, but then to most I do not wear a human face. The Light comes to each in their own way, like the dawn through glass of every manner wrought."

The last is a quote from the Kindling, the first holy text of the Red Faith, but it is more than that. He is speaking to your pride, you realize, that you would know Him face to face where others do not, yet you cannot say you are not flattered just the same, which you imagine is the point. Rather than linger on that matter, you decide to make use of this particular divine visitation. "Do you have any preferences for the sacrifice I have planned?"

A moment passes, though to the mind of a god you imagine it may as well have been an age. "Work as you have planned, but place the baatezu in the heart of the circle of flame. I have an offer to make unto them in the final hour."

The priests have started chanting now. Somewhere deeper in the temple a great bronze drum is beating to the the hand of a Scholarum trained bard deeply faithful and honored to take part in the day's ritual, even if he does not know quite what you plan for the day. Or what his god plans for the matter. "Asmodeous has a claim upon their souls," you reply, not truly a denial, but curiosity. "How do you plan to break it?"

"Fire purifies and by its Light all are welcome." The pressure of the god's attention fades. Apparently, he does not plan to share his secrets in mental chatter. A pity, Lya will be disappointed.

A moment passes, to see if the thought would draw a reply. It does not. After the priests have gone, letting you make your offering without showing the scope and nature of it, you arrange the sacrifices as you had been bid, bottles of fine glass and onyx statuettes. Devils and demons, and one flesh-forged horror collected months ago, living crystal shining blue. Then the fire roars up like a beast at your command, all the brighter, all the fiercer, and as it sings through you an image passes through your mind, not placed by any outside hand but wholly your own. Yourself in simple crimson robes coming here as a champion of the Lord of Light before all others.

What might have been if you had taken the hand of the Red Priest in Braavos all those years ago, the aid of his fellowship in learning magic? The moment passes swiftly. That Viserys Targaryen is a stranger to you and ever shall be.

[X] 5x Quasits - 15 HD total
[X] 1x Succubus - 8 HD
[X] 25x Bearded Devils - 150 HD total
[X] 3x Assassin Devils - 42 HD total
[X] 2x Stony Devils - 24 HD total
[X] 9x Steel Devils - 54 HD total
[X] 3x Bone Devils - 30 HD total
[X] 1x Mighty Ghonhatine - 12 HD
[X] 4x Sand Devils - 16 HD total
[X] 1x Accomplice Devil - 6 HD
[X] 7x Maagavs - 59 HD total
[X] 18x Gaavs - 72 HD total
[X] 2x Accomplice Devils - 12 HD total
[X] 13x Imps - 39 HD total
[X] 1x Ashmede (Asmodeus) - 12 HD
[X] 5x Salicotals (Asmodeus) - 45 HD total
[X] 2x Ink Devils - 8 HD total
[X] 183x Carnivorous Crystals (Ooze) - 2,928 HD total
[X] 815x Brimoraks - 4,890 HD total

As the fires burn to ash and the lives of the sacrificed pass into the flames still in their prisons without even the chance to scream or curse against you or the one they had been offered to, nine bottles burst and from it figures erupt, familiar yet strange, the steel devils' faces are like unto the masks of slave soldiers bound to the fighting pits, the bone devils charred, ashen grey yet giving off a pleasing scent of incense, and the dogai no more creatures of shadow but smoke and sudden flames.

Not all the life and blood had passed into these ones, you know at once, not even that great fraction, but it seems the Lord of Light has decided that if you are to make a war sacrifice to him, he may as well gain soldiers out of the bargain.

4x Steel Devils
2x Bone Devils
3x Assassin Devils

As the newly freed devils continue to watch you, you realize they are waiting for something. "Choose one of us that we may remain in this realm rather than risk the war to come," one of the assassin devils speaks in your mind.

Which do you choose?

[] A Lawbound Fighter Creature Steel Devil

[] A Savant Bone Devil

[] A Smoke Creature Assassin Devil

OOC: The being you choose here will not be directly under your command, but much like the divine Heralds, you could ask them to help out with your doings and if they would aid you as allies when they can. Not yet edited.
Here's an edited version of the chapter, @DragonParadox.
 
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I agree that the Smoke Creature Assassin Devil is the way to go. It has the most powerful base chassis and a highly useful set of skills and abilities, and the Smoke Creature template synergizes with them extremely well.

[X] egoo
 
Duesal said:
It's useful to know that apparently R'hllor is willing and able to steal devils directly from Asmodeus.
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We don't know that he stole them necessarily. R'hllor probably can't directly contradict the pact primeval like that. He does however have a completely different relationship with it than most other creatures do. Gods aren't relegated to chattel status under it the same way mortals are, so he might have options for "buying out" an Outsider's contract.
 
BronzeTongue said:
We don't know that he stole them necessarily. R'hllor probably can't directly contradict the pact primeval like that. He does however have a completely different relationship with it than most other creatures do. Gods aren't relegated to chattel status under it the same way mortals are, so he might have options for "buying out" an Outsider's contract.
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Or Burny is actually Asmodeus all along!
 
[X] A Savant Bone Devil

[X] Retroactive Forge Order, 3rd month: use 39,726 HD from Larder corpse-pile, total cost: 11,252,540 IM.


I agree that the Assassin is overall stronger, but Bone Devils are already pretty smart by nature and the Savant Template would raise his Intelligence and Wisdom to extremely high levels.
A skillmonkey, a natural tactician and an all-around useful fellow for any situation.
 
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Artemis1992 said:
[X] A Savant Bone Devil

I agree that the Assassin is overall stronger, but Bone Devils are already pretty smart by nature and the Savant Template would raise his Intelligence and Wisdom to extremely high levels.
A skillmonkey, a natural tactician and an all-around useful fellow for any situation.
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Do add the Forge Order plz?
egoo said:
[X] Retroactive Forge Order, 3rd month: use 39,726 HD from Larder corpse-pile, total cost: 11,252,540 IM.
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Also, I'd like to point out that Burnies people calling and / or sacrificing fiends in the temple would be peachy as long as they got the necessary permits and oversight.
 
@egoo, can you ask the Lawbound Fighter Creature Steel Devil to submit himself to examination in the Flesh Forges so we can recreate those templates? In exchange for gearing him up or some Forge enhancements or something. This is the first Fighter Creature we've had in our reach.
 
[X] A Smoke Creature Assassin Devil
-[X] Additionally, inquire the Lawbound Fighter Creature Steel Devil about submitting himself to examination in the Flesh Forges so we can try and recreate those templates.
--[X] We are willing to gear him out, and/or enhance with the Forge-made grafts in return.

[X] Retroactive Forge Order, 3rd month: use 39,726 HD from Larder corpse-pile, total cost: 11,252,540 IM.

I dont think he'll go for it, but sure, @Duesal.
 
Azel said:
Also, I'd like to point out that Burnies people calling and / or sacrificing fiends in the temple would be peachy as long as they got the necessary permits and oversight.
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In the temple, in a populated city?

I suppose technically with the God's presence most likely to appear there where required, that isn't the most unsafe place to do it, but it seems like a bad idea on the face of things. It sets a bad precedent.

I would much prefer to loan out use of the Snare for any organization which acquired the proper permits, or if it would interfere with our regular activities too much, simply build another one just like it.

The thing is, we can charge for its usage since there undoubtedly will not be any organization, except perhaps the Red Faith, who will be able to build in security measures that match ours. And it it pretty much necessitates our oversight in the bargain if we state "only conjure and bind at sites specifically inspected by the Scholarum as being up to code", with that being pretty stringent in requirements. Like, being not built within a population center, for one thing.

Edit: To clarify, I'm not even all that excited to be sacrificing stuff so close to Sorcerer's Deep either, but with all the preparations taken that's not the worst activity, I just absolutely think bringing any single percentage chance of a conjuring mishap into even less than that would be vastly preferable.
 
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Crake said:
In the temple, in a populated city?

I suppose technically with the God's presence most likely to appear there where required, that isn't the most unsafe place to do it, but it seems like a bad idea on the face of things. It sets a bad precedent.

I would much prefer to loan out use of the Snare for any organization which acquired the proper permits, or if it would interfere with our regular activities too much, simply build another one just like it.

The thing is, we can charge for its usage since there undoubtedly will not be any organization, except perhaps the Red Faith, who will be able to build in security measures that match ours. And it it pretty much necessitates our oversight in the bargain if we state "only conjure and bind at sites specifically inspected by the Scholarum as being up to code", with that being pretty stringent in requirements. Like, being not build within a population center, for one thing.
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It'd be going be permit, and part of said permits would be having the mother of all security features to make sure fiends can't possess anyone or escape. So even if it's technically allowed it's probably not happening. R'hllor is most likely just gonna poke Viserys directly when he needs a meal.

[X] egoo
 
Duesal said:
It'd be going be permit, and part of said permits would be having the mother of all security features to make sure fiends can't possess anyone or escape. So even if it's technically allowed it's probably not happening. R'hllor is most likely just gonna poke Viserys directly when he needs a meal.

[X] egoo
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Naw, R'hllor knows how we operate already. Which should be the worrisome part.

He would just dangle a shiny in front of us, and surreptitiously point at the horde of enemies and defenses between us and it and mention how his divine host would be in the area pretty soon.
 
Crake said:
In the temple, in a populated city?

I suppose technically with the God's presence most likely to appear there where required, that isn't the most unsafe place to do it, but it seems like a bad idea on the face of things. It sets a bad precedent.

I would much prefer to loan out use of the Snare for any organization which acquired the proper permits, or if it would interfere with our regular activities too much, simply build another one just like it.

The thing is, we can charge for its usage since there undoubtedly will not be any organization, except perhaps the Red Faith, who will be able to build in security measures that match ours. And it it pretty much necessitates our oversight in the bargain if we state "only conjure and bind at sites specifically inspected by the Scholarum as being up to code", with that being pretty stringent in requirements. Like, being not built within a population center, for one thing.

Edit: To clarify, I'm not even all that excited to be sacrificing stuff so close to Sorcerer's Deep either, but with all the preparations taken that's not the worst activity, I just absolutely think bringing any single percentage chance of a conjuring mishap into even less than that would be vastly preferable.
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I don't really want to litigate the exact ordinances on this matter, but "having a permit" automatically means "having security in place that the Scholarium and the Inquisition deem adequate", with people being present to ensure everything is done to code. If they can't aquire or rent such a place? Tough luck.
 
Crake said:
Naw, R'hllor knows how we operate already. Which should be the worrisome part.

He would just dangle a shiny in front of us, and surreptitiously point at the horde of enemies and defenses between us and it and mention how his divine host would be in the area pretty soon.
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True. I think it's safe to say we're perfectly open to bribery if the bribe is good enough.
 
Azel said:
I don't really want to litigate the exact ordinances on this matter, but "having a permit" automatically means "having security in place that the Scholarium and the Inquisition deem adequate", with people being present to ensure everything is done to code. If they can't aquire or rent such a place? Tough luck.
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I think just a blanket statement if it ever became relevant that "it's not happening if you're not pretty much exactly as paranoid and cautious about it as I am" is adequate, so no worries.
 
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