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

Thirteenth Day of the Eighth Month 294 AC

This was not the first time Belfir, Lord of House Malthor, made his way to the High City, not by far. Like all the youths of the city he had come here first as a boy for the Trial of Stone where he had raised a great brick to the highest hill of the city where stood still unfinished the Tower of the Golden Bell that would not be rung until the end of days. Then he had risen up the high steps on many a Day of Reckonings, though not all. He was a pious man after all, but the works of a fallen world oft called one to less exalted tasks, of trade and administration, the writing of ledgers and the words shared with foreigners in houses the most zealous counted of Ill Repute, though he knew in his heart that the Lawgiver did not begrudge his House its good fortune, else why would he have given it to them?

Yet as he stood in the Plaza of Martyrs waiting for the goat to be brought out and killed so that the priests may draw the bounds with its blood he did wish that the Great God in his wisdom had given him blessings that did not lie so uneasily in the stomach. Alone of all the highborn of the city, he and he alone was here to witness this day and it was through those bonds that tied him to powers far off. He stood among strangers and wizards in robes bright as the colors of the Arc of Heaven, he stood among allies new made and watched that which no son of House Malthor had seen since the Great Unseating of which was told only in hushed voices.

He watched as Stefaanos 'the Serpent', as marked by the coiling burn branded into his back by the Interrogators, once First Axe of Norvos, was brought before the High One on his throne of weathered pine. It was unheard of for such a judgement to be given outside the Walls of the Great Temple, but no heathen feet were permitted to tread its floors and so the ceremony had been moved here, so that Ambassador Argor could see this with his own eyes.

So that he could watch his enemy broken before him on the wheel of law, a part of Belfir that was not filled with awe and piety noted. The Harrowers had overplayed their hand in perhaps the most foolish way it was possible to do so. After all a man, be he even High Priest, will forgive almost anything before harm to his own kin, and while the priests had no kin of flesh one would have to be a fool not to see that the protégées they choose were like kin of the spirit.

Granted the former First Axe had been banking on that to a degree, but...

"Stefaanos the Sinner, by your own foul tongue named serpent, you stand accused of luring into Disobedience to Halls Earthly and Heavenly a good and righteous soul of the Faith for no other purpose than to see him slain," His Wisdom spoke in a harsh clear voice that could not quite mask the very human sadness underneath. "You looked upon the Heathen and saw not souls to be saved and brought into the Law, but instead ravening beasts to be bent to your will. For such crimes we here have no punishment that will suffice, but shall instead hasten you to your eternal fate under the flaming hoof of the Goat Demon...."

"Really now, a fellow called the First Axe getting into that sort of complicated intrigue. I am not even sure what he was about," Ambassador Argor whispered from his left. "Hard enough to get people to hate your guts to riot where you want them, but to then bank that you can get the boy in the path of the mob in a way that would not be found in the subsequent investigation, that is just folly."

"A men less quick on his feet would have answered anger with anger and all would have gone up in smoke and ruin," he replied in like tone.

"I was hired for this job, not picked off the street..." came the reply, interrupted when the prisoner somehow managed to throw off the priests who had been holding him and rush the High Priest. He was caught just in time, but not before he could spit on the vestments of the man he once called master.

"As your crimes were against the Unbeliever than it shall be the Unbeliever who sees you on your last journey as they see fit!" the Voice of the Lawgiver boomed.

That was when Ambassador Argor showed another talent and incinerated the former First Axe. It would not be until many years later that Belfir would learn that he had spoken a short prayer to R'hllor in his thoughts as he did so, calling on all Stefaanos' victims to look upon his doom.

Normalizing Relations Norvos: 83 (Success) -> Overt opposition among the Bearded Priests crippled.

What is your next strategy?

[] Focus on trade with the Lower City

[] Build connections among the aristocracy

[] Try to resolve the worst of the theological issues

[] Ask or better treatment for the local R'hllorites

[] Write in

OOC: The Arc of Heaven is what the locals call a rainbow. It felt like cool symbolism, but at the same time I realized it might be confusing so I decided to explain it here.