Vote closed. Sorry for the wait guys, was busy today.
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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- 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
- Location
- United States
By this point I'm fairly sure we can recruit enough magesmiths for Imperial Steel forges. We are the overlords of every Free City save for Norvos and Qohor.
Winning Vote
Interlude CMXLVIII: Sign of Sealing
Sign of Sealing
Thirteenth Day of the Third Month 294 AC
Thankfully Garin was not as shaken by the Key's words as another might have been. One did not attain the rarefied position High Inquisitor without realizing just how much of the Inquisition's reputation for secrecy was based on difficult often dull procedure, procedure one cannot expect of the mages of the Scholarum and still less of Salladhor Saan and his ilk. A chance perhaps to change the antiquated procedures of the Forge and perhaps more, but for now the answer came smoothly to his lips. "While the mental contamination of the King would indeed pose a terrible threat..." the High Valyrian word still felt a touch odd to say, likely because of how close it was to the Valyrian word for 'Empire'. "The same can be said for many other figures of the Imperium, including myself."
"I assume that your point is not that your lord's realm hangs upon an even more tenuous balance than we assumed?" The challenging tilt of the chin did not look quite right, less like a common gesture and more like the stance of a sculpture carved by a great artist who had never seen a human face.
"The same is true of your own court," Garin replied bluntly. "The memetic hazards posed by the Deep Ones are not something that can be defeated by hardening a few individuals against such attacks, but only by sweeping, broad and decisive measures."
Whispers passed through the court like the tinkling of silver and glass, but the Key did not speak or move... or apparently breathe. Instincts Garin usually pushed aside whispered in the back of his mind. Whatever this fey being was it was not alive in the common sense of the word.
"The Imperium has set up such measures, and created an institution who is specifically tasked with detecting and eradicating Deep One infiltration or contamination. We are constantly learning, refining its methods and seeking to obtain and utilize all information available to combat these threats. If you wish to add to that knowledge in exchange for like lore on our side the Imperium would consider this a show of good faith," Garin finished delicately. "We reserve the right to analyze and share this information with allied and neutral parties given the threat that the Deep Ones present."
"Call them the Dominion of the Mind," the Key spoke at last. "Their preference for deep water in mortal realms speaks of nothing more than convenience. They are the corruption that twists from the Farthest Shore, the tale alien to these realms, not... unlike... us."
Silence deep as the grave fell over the courtly scene. Shock or deeper understanding, Garin wondered. Waymar had once told him a saying of the Vale that sheep and shepherds grew more alike with the passing years. He wondered if the same could be said of jailers and their prisoners.
The High Inquisitor cleared his throat. "Nothing of military use would be shared of course, and any envoys involved in the exchange of lore would be treated as honored guests."
"An auspicious beginning then," the fey queen clapped, the sound oddly musical. "How better to know potential negotiating partners than by how they face the Madness." As she drifted back into the ranks of her kin she added, "My compliments to the Watcher who lingers at the gates. I would offer them myself, but my presence would cause unnecessary pain."
Judging from the way Zherys' expression flickered to surprise for a moment before settling back into the diplomatic mask that had been more than the usual cryptic declaration that seemed to unite angels and demons, fey and far-born. "Whatever she may once have been that one is now cerulean light, the warding power given thought and purpose," the Lord of Volantis explained.
Knowledge Sharing with the Azure Court Established (40 Progress Research Project unlocked; Must be completed before negotiations continue)
What next?
[] Write in
OOC: Well here we are. Garin managed to sell the idea, or the fey were already open to it from the start, it's hard to tell when reading someone as alien and remote as the Key.
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The Key is that. There the others seem more normal.
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Still wouldn't hurt to have her on hand though.
Xor, bless his eyestalks, is certainly an outlier among outliers, and friendly aberrations are hardly a dime a dozen.
We might make some of course, as is our wont, but I doubt it'll be enough that having such beings such as the Key on our side would be an issue.
At least at the moment anyway.
- Location
- Argentina
She is only one, so I don't care.
Remember that we have non-hostile relations with the rebel Deep Ones
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Sucks that Crimson Blade died. They could have had Anti Winter knowledge since that Court fought them. At least Orange Haze died fuck enchanters.
- Location
- France
I do agree that Enchantment is definitely the squickiest school of magic, but that's not a sentiment we can express IC. Our first magic was mind-control, and our first large-scale human experimentation was also mind control. Who knows, maybe we'll beat Winter using Mind-Control!
I hope we don't though. There's something beautifully ironic about using Shadow of the Doom to save the world
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
@silvanknight I think we will probably have better luck fighting Winter in ways they are completely unused to.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
[X] Violate Visit the Violet Court
-[X] For once, by walking into negotiations expecting a fight as the prize rather than as the deterrent, considering you are presenting the likely survivor an option that is no real choice at all...
--[X] Commemorate the moment Dusk Dancer's face twists in anger, you are sure that image will get mileage as a conversation piece in your solar.
"And this, little Brynden, is the moment I triumphed over someone who slightly inconvenienced me, shortly before they became the first Fey to suffer a stroke from sheer, incandescent rage."
"Papa, that's pretty rad."
"I know, right?"
-[X] For once, by walking into negotiations expecting a fight as the prize rather than as the deterrent, considering you are presenting the likely survivor an option that is no real choice at all...
--[X] Commemorate the moment Dusk Dancer's face twists in anger, you are sure that image will get mileage as a conversation piece in your solar.
"And this, little Brynden, is the moment I triumphed over someone who slightly inconvenienced me, shortly before they became the first Fey to suffer a stroke from sheer, incandescent rage."
"Papa, that's pretty rad."
"I know, right?"
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lancelot
Completely worth it
If we make some having her court's help would make it far more likely that we'd get bengs like Xor.
Fuck them they still eat people, and see mortals as cattle. The only reason we didn't kill them all is the hope of causing a civil war. No matter which side wins none of them need to survive.
A small group of rebels aren't worth fucking up our relationship with the Githzerai, and possibly these fey.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Dealing with the Violet Court
A reminder, you already have ilithidae as productive members of society, they feed on memories people don't want.
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Crake
- Location
- Argentina
Look, we hire fiends rutinely, and the rebels themselves have made clear that there are alternatives to eating brains.
If it proves beneficial to have them join, under our Imperium, with our rules, then we won't deny that.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
@DragonParadox If I have this right:
Green: Non-hostilities; off-screen'd research on Greenseer viability for the Sleeping King. If good results, integration into a Weirwood (probably on SD) and then the Warden becomes our direct vassal. Every other Fey except the Warden is free to choose to stay our indirect vassal, become a servant of the Old Gods to remain on the Prime Material, or else fuck off into the Feywild for a century?
Azure: Non-hostilities; Shared research action for security procedures. Once that is satisfied, reconduct negotiations, presuming a favorable foot forward since we really are more paranoid than your average insane cultist or incompetent feudal warlord.
Gold: They used their secret weapon when, in an unlikely scenario, divination has failed them. Might be willing to come out of hiding when they realize we were far less interested in killing fey in general, and far more interested in murdering the top brass.
Red: Basically krispy kreme'd. Whoever is left either hired on with us, or became wildfae.
Orange: Deep One snacks.
Violet: In-progress.
Indigo: In-progress.
Green: Non-hostilities; off-screen'd research on Greenseer viability for the Sleeping King. If good results, integration into a Weirwood (probably on SD) and then the Warden becomes our direct vassal. Every other Fey except the Warden is free to choose to stay our indirect vassal, become a servant of the Old Gods to remain on the Prime Material, or else fuck off into the Feywild for a century?
Azure: Non-hostilities; Shared research action for security procedures. Once that is satisfied, reconduct negotiations, presuming a favorable foot forward since we really are more paranoid than your average insane cultist or incompetent feudal warlord.
Gold: They used their secret weapon when, in an unlikely scenario, divination has failed them. Might be willing to come out of hiding when they realize we were far less interested in killing fey in general, and far more interested in murdering the top brass.
Red: Basically krispy kreme'd. Whoever is left either hired on with us, or became wildfae.
Orange: Deep One snacks.
Violet: In-progress.
Indigo: In-progress.
What was that again? Outside of the mind melting super speeches I didn't think any of the early research projects were based on mind control.
[X] Crake
I need to go find that post again, because I don't remember how Dusk Dancer pissed us off this much over the course of what was effectively a dinner party.
Well, if we can make tofu brain replacements for them we can probably work something out, so this doesn't need to be an kill-or-be-eaten conflict after their current government is crushed.
That said, you're drastically overestimating what we can do to them. Our advantage is that they're fighting themselves, are dealing with an ongoing refugee crisis from the PoW, and are far from their places of strength. Even with all that victory is far from certain if our Cold War goes hot. It's worth keeping that in mind when considering our relations with them.
lancelot
Completely worth it
We don't have allies who have dedicated their entire race to the True death of fiends. If we have to choice between rebel brain eaters, and the Gith, Tritons, AND possible a Fey Court we'd be stupid to pick the rebels.
If we can convince them to let shit go that is fine, but I don't see that happening.
- Location
- United Kingdom
[X] Crake
- Location
- United States
I genuinely hope she gives us the excuse to personally kill her.
[X] Crake