Remove ads

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

Reader mode
Mind that having the tech and disseminating it are two different things. See how long there was only one Terminus in all of Planetos to stop mass-teleportation wrecking the economy until it was ready.
 
Remove ads
Interlude MCCXXVII: With a Careful Hand
  • Threadmarks
    • With a Careful Hand ​

    Twelfth Day of the Eleventh Month 294 AC

    And the wages of sin shall be paperwork, drowned shall be the wicked in ink black as tar. The wry jest bought a smile to the lips of Duke Baelor Hightower, though not the one that had earned him his moniker, more the sort of soft and secret smile that few outside of his kin and closest kith ever saw. Under the watch of his forefathers and the counsel of the Citadel Oldtown had never come close to King's Landing in its effluvia of human waste and misery, and the plagues that had haunted much of the realm had always laid their hand lightly upon it... for a city of its size.

    After the death of his father and especially upon learning the cause of that death beyond the shadow of a doubt Baelor had set out to improve the old sewage system and the aqueducts that fed it. He no longer trusted paths that lead into the river and especially into the sea, but there was only so much that could be done to protect those tunnels given the nature of the foe they faced and the guardians he had at hand. Though he had never given up hope that a solution would be found in magic or engineering, or more likely a combination of the two, Baelor had never expected it to even be possible within his own lifespan.

    House Hightower was rather good at passing its plans and its grudges to the next generation. Yet it seemed that this time he would not have to... the plan to secure the city that was, his grudge against the Dominion of the Mind would only be wiped away by its lifeblood. Baelor called out to the door to open, the door itself enchanted to heed his voice and not a servant.

    A maester garbed in white, after the manner of the Citadel these days when so many colors had broken from what was once common grey, entered head held high, presumably to crow about the success in adding pearls that would detect the touch of the Far Realm to the filtration rings which would keep the water safe for the city's people. It had not been an easy case to make with the Ministry of Health and would likely have been impossible without a significant infusion of marks on his own part.

    "Your Grace, the last of the most unfortunate souls have been sent off to the east. It is truly fortunate the realm can now count Qohor among its provinces given their more lenient attitude towards the touch of the Far Realm," the scholar began.

    "Unless the reports I have been seeing from the Lantern Bearers are lying the truly unfortunate ones ended their lives on the end of Imperial Steel Blades," Baelor interjected, his smile fading somewhat.

    "Yes, of course Your Grace, they were enemies of the realm, monsters..."

    "Baring the handful who might have started off as beasts they were all citizens of Oldtown and subjects of House Hightower who were twisted and warped in body and mind beyond all hope of healing. That is a tragedy to be mourned, not a triumph to be celebrated. It is particularly not a triumph to be touted in the streets, do I make myself clear?"

    "Archmaester Marwyn would never lower himself to seek favor with the mob," the maester replied a touch stiffly.

    At that Baelor allowed a sigh to pass his lips. "I know, it was my frustration speaking. We still have not seen an end to vandalism and threats aimed at those of the Far-Touched who have families and property in the city."

    "Have you considered biding them to move to Battle Island itself, under the eye of the tower as it were?"

    The duke shook his head, the heavy chain of rank flashing at his throat. "I promised them security just as the throne did. I shall not be made a liar. I think it is time to round up some of the more vocal proponents of 'purity of flesh'. Some time in jail shall do them good contemplating their philosophy."

    Of course the lawman were not Ser Moryn's old city watch. He could request they start an investigation into troublemakers, not simply have them all thrown into the dungeons. All things told a fair trade.

    Results:
    • Oldtown Sanitation System improved
    • Duke Hightower lobbied and helped pay for it to include pearls to detect Far Realm influence
    • Far-Touched killed, sent to Qohor or integrated
    • Samples for the Forge taken from those who were killed
    • Anti-Aberration sentiment crystalizes around local rabble rouses reasonably contained for now
    Which of the leaders of the local movement are in breach of Imperial law?

    [] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property

    [] The ones asking for the expulsion of all Far-Touched citizens from the city or even the realm

    [] Anyone using anti-Deep One rhetoric as a cover to breed ill-will towards their fellow citizens

    [] Write in

    OOC: If the dice had not been very kind (or bribed with blood sacrifices) the question here would have been about the aftermath of a riot as the mutants were driven into the streets.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • We don't really have the anti-racism laws to make it possible to throw everyone who speaks against the far-touched people into prison.
    We could still do it of course, through the Inquisition or just royal decree, but I think it is preferable if we keep to our own laws, in public.

    [X] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property
     
    DragonParadox said:
    With a Careful Hand ​

    Twelfth Day of the Eleventh Month 294 AC

    And the wages of sin shall be paperwork, drowned shall be the wicked in ink black as tar. The wry jest bought a smile to the lips of Duke Baelor Hightower, though not the one that had earned him his moniker, more the sort of soft and secret smile that few outside of his kin and closest kith ever saw. Under the watch of his forefathers and the counsel of the Citadel, Oldtown had never come close to King's Landing in its effluvia of human waste, and misery and the plagues that had haunted much of the realm had always laid their hand lightly upon it... for a city of its size.

    After the death of his father and especially upon learning the cause of that death beyond the shadow of a doubt, Baelor had set out to improve the old sewage system and the aqueducts that fed it. He no longer trusted paths that lead into the river and especially into the sea, but there was only so much that could be done to protect those tunnels given the nature of the foe they faced and the guardians he had to hand. Though he had never given up hope that a solution would be found by magic or engineering, or more likely a combination of the two, Baelor had never expected it to even be possible within his own lifespan.

    House Hightower was rather good at passing its plans and its grudges to the next generation. Yet it seemed that this time he would not have to... the plan to secure the city that was, his grudge against the Dominion of the Mind would only be wiped away by its lifeblood. Baelor called out to the door to open, the door itself enchanted to heed his voice and not a servant.

    A maester, garbed in white after the manner of the Citadel these days when so many colors had broken from what was once common grey, entered with his head held high, presumably to crow about the success in adding pearls that would detect the touch of the Far Realm to the filtration rings which would keep the water safe for the city's people. It had not been an easy case to make with the Ministry of Health and would likely have been impossible without a significant infusion of marks on his own part.

    "Your Grace, the last of the most unfortunate souls have been sent off to the east. It is truly fortunate the realm can now count Qohor among its provinces given their more lenient attitude towards the touch of the Far Realm." the scholar began.

    "Unless the reports I have been seeing from the Lantern Bearers are lying, the truly unfortunate ones ended their lives on the end of Imperial Steel Blades," Baelor interjected, his smile fading somewhat.

    "Yes, of course, Your Grace, they were enemies of the realm, monsters..."

    "Barring the handful who might have started off as beasts, they were all citizens of Oldtown and subjects of House Hightower, who were twisted and warped in body and mind beyond all hope of healing. That is a tragedy to be mourned and not a triumph. It is particularly not a triumph to be touted in the streets, do I make myself clear?"

    "Archmaester Marwyn would never lower himself to seek favor with the mob," the maester replied a touch stiffly.

    At that Baelor allowed a sigh to pass his lips. "I know. It was my frustration speaking. We still have not seen an end to vandalism and threats aimed at those of the Far-Touched who have families and property in the city."

    "Have you considered bidding them to move to Battle Island itself, under the eye of the tower, as it were?"

    The duke shook his head, the heavy chain of rank flashing at his throat. "I promised them security just as the throne did. I shall not be made a liar. I think it is time to round up some of the more vocal proponents of 'purity of flesh'. Some time in jail shall do them good contemplating their philosophy."

    Of course, the lawman were not Ser Moryn's old city watch. He could request they start an investigation into troublemakers not simply have them all thrown into the dungeons. All things told, it was a fair trade.

    Results:
    • Oldtown Sanitation System Improved
    • Duke Hightower lobbied and helped pay for it to include pearls to detect Far Realm influence
    • Far-Touched killed, sent to Qohor or integrated
    • Samples for the Forge taken from those who were killed
    • Anti-Aberration sentiment crystallizes around local rabble rousers reasonably contained for now
    Which of the leaders of the local movement are in breach of Imperial law?

    [] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property

    [] The ones asking for the expulsion of all Far Touched citizens from the city or even the realm

    [] Anyone using anti-Deep One rhetoric as a cover to breed ill will towards their fellow citizens

    [] Write in

    OOC: If the dice had not been very kind (or bribed with blood sacrifices) the question here would have been about the aftermath of a riot as the mutants were driven into the streets. Not yet edited.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Made some additional edits to the chapter, DP.
     
    [X] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property
    [X] Anyone using anti-Deep One rhetoric as a cover to breed ill-will towards their fellow citizens
     
    Last edited:
    All of them need a slap on the wrist and/or jail time or execution.

    None of this is behavior we tolerate.
     
    Duesal said:
    All of them need a slap on the wrist and/or jail time or execution.

    None of this is behavior we tolerate.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I think it's a matter of which is directly prohibited by law and which hasn't yet reached that level of provocation. Cracking down on the worst of the offenders might cause the rest of them to back off. If not, and they continue to agitate against the Far-Touched, additional measures might need to be taken.
     
    Artemis1992 said:
    We don't really have the anti-racism laws to make it possible to throw everyone who speaks against the far-touched people into prison.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Imperial law dictates equal treatment for all citizens, so there is legal backing to persecuting the anti-abberation block. The question is more how aggressively to do it.

    I mean, they could certainly try to appeal all the way to the High Court that they have the right to declare other citizens subhuman scum and persecute them, but their odds of succeeding at that are... slim...
     
    Goldfish said:
    I think it's a matter of which is directly prohibited by law and which hasn't yet reached that level of provocation. Cracking down on the worst of the offenders might cause the rest of them to back off. If not, and they continue to agitate against the Far-Touched, additional measures might need to be taken.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I'd rather jump ahead of hate groups, personally. This gets entrenched if they're allowed to toe the line.
     
    Duesal said:
    I'd rather jump ahead of hate groups, personally. This gets entrenched if they're allowed to toe the line.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I'm that vase, I don't think we should lean on the second option, just the first and third. The second is distasteful, but really doesn't seem to be illegal.
     
    [X] The ones asking for the expulsion of all Far-Touched citizens from the city or even the realm

    No. Citizens do not have the right to just decide that they want another group of citizens gone and that they should publicly lobby for that to happen. At the same time, we can't ban expressing dislike towards a group. That is going too far in the other direction.
     
    Goldfish said:
    I'm that vase, I don't think we should lean on the second option, just the first and third. The second is distasteful, but really doesn't seem to be illegal.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I'd add an official warning for the second that no, the Imperium will not be banishing people for being aberration tainted when they are law abiding citizens. That really needs an official response so that when people continue to say that shit they know they're going against the state.
     
    [] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property

    For the others that is the job of the thought police inquisition to keep an eye on and question motives later.
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Deemed Illegal
    -[X] The ones directly inciting violence and destruction of property
    -[X] Anyone using anti-Deep One rhetoric as a cover to breed ill-will towards their fellow citizens
    [X] For the ones asking for the expulsion of all Far-Touched citizens from the city or even the realm, sternly warn them that you won't be exiling law abiding citizens even if they are aberration-tainted, and that they tread close to breaking the law themselves.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top