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

Twenty-Fifth Day of the Eleventh Month 294 AC

There is no grand convocation this time, no feast and song and games of martial prowess, there is no hidden whispered congress either. When you ask to speak to the envoys of the Djinn and the Shaitan the ambassadors are summoned forth in counsel in one of the semi-public chambers of the palace, the meeting marked on your schedule days in advance. Your mother confesses to find it a bit surreal how easily most of the palace staff and courtiers are taking the visit of spirits from distant spheres, envoys of stone and air who have the ear of beings like onto minor gods in the heart of their power.

Apparently there was a minor flurry of interest for Shaitan shoes at court of all things as well a a great desire to know the contents of the minor ceremonial gift exchange with the Djinn as well as the reason why it is only with them. Rumors that you are favoring one empire over the other swirl uncomfortably until you make it clear that it is a matter of cultural distinction. for the stone genies gifts of state are things to be given only at moments of utmost import, whereas their kin of the endless skies exchange minor gifts as they do greetings, as a sign of where the other has traveled and what they have been doing and not any great show of value.

Of course not all interest is frivolous, far from it, the various factions of the Curia cloak their interest in the state of the war in this sort of idle banter, but from the Dreadkeep to Sunspear and from Greyport to Volantis are are most interested in the conflict which has so recently proven to be painfully close to Imperial shores. Though you make no official statement on the matter you let it be known through Tyene and your mother that you are indeed seeking the lore that will aid you in better protecting the realm from attack even as you wonder what it might cost you to acquire it.

To your relief as much as satisfaction the answer is nothing at all. You do not know if the envoys has taken counsel together before they come before you, but they make it clear that both of them will open their lore of ward-craft to any mages you deem fit to learn it so that a tragedy like the Burning of the Dale shall never take place again. Upon acknowledging the condolences and the aid you turn your gaze to the matter of the war itself and its various fronts. Where your forces might be of most use and how else your allies might help them improve.

The meeting is not held in any of the great ball rooms or even the throne room under the eyes of the Curia, but in the austere chambers housing the Imperial High Command. Likewise, there are no courtiers or nobles to be found, but instead the Marshalls of the Imperium and the commanders of Shaitan and Djinn armies can be found pouring over maps and discussing strategy. Stranger yet though is the small number of alchemists and enchanters that came with the Shaitan delegation and who are now quietly trading gold tablets and books with alchemical formulas back and forth with Vee and Qyburn. Perhaps it was a sign of growing trust, forged in shared loss, that the Sultana seemed interested in having the Imperium provide materials for the manufactories of the Opaline Vault.

Not all news is as welcome though.

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Theaters of the War of the Spheres

General
Currently, the war is still in flux due to the Djinn entering on the side of the Shaitan and disturbing the century old balance, but due to large numbers of their spelljammers being unable to fly on the Plane of Fire or to withstand the environment, they are still struggling to launch any long-term campaigns on their own. Instead, the forces of Amun Kelisk mostly focus on raiding and attacking weaker Efreeti bases and supporting ground troops of the Shaitan. Due to this, the Shaitan became able to solidify their foothold in the Ashen Cysts, even though the Efreeti are committing a large amount of ressources to push them back, and it seems that an end to the fighting in the Blightstone Caves on the Plane of Earth is in reach. None the less, there is worry that the stalemate will soon resume on different lines, as the Brazen Throne has started to seek closer ties with Baator, going so far as letting Dispater erect outposts to defend trade routes in the Ashen Veil. It is unclear what Baators motives are at this point, but both the Peerless Empire and Amun Kelisk are avoiding any actions that might prompt Baator to join the war on side of the Efreeti.

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Plane of Fire

The Pasha Realms - Efreeti Controlled / Ongoing Fighting / Unknown
These city states and fiefdoms around the Sea of Fire make up the bulk of the Efreeti held territory, though they account only for a fraction of the population. Usually, they consists of a small, heavily fortified city or even just a military base which controls and oversees vast areas from which resources are extracted and sent on to the City of Brass. In the central Sea of Fire, this usually means agricultural products and slaves, while the wilder areas often focus on whaling, enslaving elementals and especially slave raids to other planes. How firm the control of the Sultan of Brass is over his Pashas can not be truly said. Outwardly, they all are fully subservient to the City of Brass, but due to the ever shifting political landscape at the Brazen Court, the Shaitan suspect that there are settlements or even entire realms who have fallen through the cracks and are de facto independent. In recent months, the Djinn have begun a great offense against those Pashas who have raided the Plane of Air, especially focusing on those who were involved with the attempt to create an Abyssal Breach near Amun Kelisk. Successes here have buyoed the so far only tepid support for the war from the general public in Amun Kelisk and while the military impact has so far been limited, the Djinn expect that the realms they are attacking will not be able to hold out much longer without reinforcements from the City of Brass.

The Salamander Realms - Ongoing Fighting
While clients of the Brazen Throne for a long time, the fiercly independent Salamanders are also a constant source of rebellions and infighting. The most recent uprising, spurred on by meddling of the Brazen Thrones enemies, seemed to threaten to unite all clans against the Efreeti, but infighting and a recent offense by the Brazen Throne has largely dashed that hope. Salamanders loyal to the Sultan of Brass traditionally gathered under the banner of the informal Brass Scale Clan, but due to some efforts, this clan has now formed in truth and immediately seen a large influx of members. Spurred on by the announcement that the Sultan would bestow the title "Bey of all Salamanders" on whoever managed to unite the clans under his banner, they have begun an assault on the clanholds of the Cobalt Scales and the Obsidian Spears, who are informally leading the remnants of the rebel faction. Meanwhile, the Hunters of the Last Light have been spotted to leave the Salamander Realms altogether with their fleet and rumor is that with the other clans unable to provide supplies for them, they will return to taking mercenary contracts in Paradise and Elysium.

The Ashen Cysts - Ongoing Fighting / Neutral
A total of fourteen mountain sized structures on the shores of the Sea of Fire, built long ago by Formians that tried to colonize the Plane of Fire. As they came, they draw giant chunks out of the Plane of Minerals to serve as raw materials for their massive cities, which are still being mined to this day. Currently 8 are in the hands of the Efreeit, 4 are being controlled by the Shaitan and the last 2 are occupied by a Mephit realm calling itself the Children of Dygar, which is officially neutral in the war. In practice, Efreeti have been raiding this Mephit realm for centuries, but ever since the ascension of their immortal leader Dygar, who is treated akin to a god by his followers and allegedly sustains himself on their souls, they have been unable to hold any territory in their cysts. The Efreeti occasionally send ill-equipped military expiditions to attack them, but those are more punishments for disgraced Efreeti commanders than actual conquest efforts. For the Shaitan, the status quo is likewise acceptable, since the Mephits are willing to trade to a limited degree and their presence denies the Efreeti control of their territory. Currently there are heavy aerial attacks by Djinn forces on the Efreeti held Cysts, but ground war is in the Sultans favor with two of the Shaitan held Cysts being under constant assault and housing major Efreeti beachheads.

Div's Delight - Ongoing Fighting
Once a major trade hub between the Plane of Fire and the Plane of Earth, this natural cavern system has been forever changed and warped by being the oldest still active battlefield in the War of the Spheres. Here the earth is rich with bodies and the detritus of long forgotten battles, with Div and undead feasting on the bounty of death and miser that taints the land. All worth fighting for has long been destroyed here, but neither side is willing to retreat from the battlefield, as this is the place where the Sultan of Brass slew the then reigning Sultan of the Peerless Empire in a diplomatic meeting that had been called to prevent the outbreak of all out war. So Efreeti, Shaitan and their allies have been dying here for centuries and there is no sign that this will stop any time soon. Neither side is currently putting a strong focus on the area and the stalemate remains stable, though undead activity has been rising recently.

The Great Engine - Neutral
This machine is the project of an elusive being called Iqdbwa the Engineer, who some believe to be one of the former masters of the Adamantine Crucible near Axis. In his own words, it is a weapon that, once it is completed, will be unleashed on Abaddon to cleanse it from all signs of life, and then move on to do the same to the Abyss. The construction has been ongoing for millenia and nobody knows when it will be completed, if ever, or if it's creator can truly achieve its goal with the massive machine. The site is built on a great island made up of stone that long ago broke off from the Plane of Earth and contains some of the greatest mines of Adamantine and Mythral on the entire Plane of Fire. It is currently located in the Sea of Fire near the Salamander Kingdoms, but has been steadily steered to float further towards the wilder parts of the Plane of Fire ever since the unrest among the Salamanders began. Iqdbwa is fiercely independent, but readily trades for slaves, souls, materials and especially skilled workers with Baator and the Brazen Throne, going so far as having hired a full Diabolical Legion as garison from the Archdevil Baazebul. Some among the Shaitan argue that the Peerless Empire should formally open trade with Iqdbwa to outbid the Brazen Throne and thus cutting off the flow of raw materials to the Sultans forges, but the strong connection to Baator and the Efreeti has made it politically too costly to be seriously considered, especially now that the Djinn have entered the war as the Sultanas allies.

The Veil of Brimstone - Efreeti Controlled
Since time immemorial, this region has been both coveted and avoided due to the way the lead- and brimstone filled clouds inhibit divinations and translocation magic on a large scale, with only a few small pockets being reachable by translocation without preparing the arrival site. Thus it was a haven for corsairs and rebels against the Brazen Throne, until the Sultans fleets systematically combed the region killed or enslaved anyone within. Until recently, the garrison was weak, as there were no raiders daring enough to attack convoys moving to and from the mines and bases hidden under the clouds, but a few high-profile attacks by Imperial forces and the Djinn has lead to the defenses being greatly reinforced through troops from Dispaters Legions. Officially, these troops are protecting trade routes used by Baator, but in practice, their presence has put a stop to the Djinn raids out of fear of dragging Baator into the conflict. The Shaitan have long tried to find out what the Brazen Throne is hiding here, but despite troop movements suggesting at least one major military base hidden in the Veil, they are only aware of a few scattered mines. One of the most important of the stable routes through the Veil is the River of Tears, which connects the Sea of Fire to a Gate leading to the channels of Dis and while most trade between the City of Brass and Baator is done directly, the route is commonly used to transport materials into and out of the Veil.

The Soulforge - Efreeti Controlled
A site that has long been shrouded in myth until it's existence has been conclusively proven about two centuries ago when a number of high-ranking Efreeti mages had been publicly executed for allegedly sabotaging it. It is located in a great volcano near the edges of the known Sea of Fire where primal fire currents make their way towards the stabler areas of the plane. Despite much effort being spent on it, no Shaitan agent has yet been able to gather more information about the facility or what is done there, as security is as tight as that of the Sultans own palace. Not even the closest allies of the Brazen Throne or enslaved soldiers such as Fire Giants are permitted anywhere near this installation. The only thing known is that large amounts of Living Brass are shipped there with no clear indication of what is produced there. A few of the more daring Djinn commanders have tried to conduct air raids on the facility with the few spelljammers they have that can withstand the environment, but they were all rebuffed with heavy losses.

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Plane of Air

Ashguard - Efreeti Controlled
Erected in the eternal ash storms raging where the Plane of Air meets the Plane of Fire, this Efreeti airbase has long been used to patrol the border region. Build on a series of flying ash clumps that have been bound together through Adamantine bridges, it was often deemed the most important air base of the Brazen Throne since from it, spelljammers could Planeshift both to any place on the Plane of Air or the Plane of Fire. So far, the Djinn have largely ignored this fortress due to how well defended and instead focused on baiting the fleets stationed here into engagements far away from Ashguard. With the Djinn staging attacks on the Pasha Realms though, the fortress has recently been opened as a stopover and supply station for slavers who are raiding for Lightning Elementals in the Keening Clouds of the Plane of Air, marking the first time that the Sultan of Brass openly acknowledges that these raids are happening.

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Plane of Earth

Blightstone Caves - Ongoing Fighting
This cave system is found near the border of the Plane of Earth, where a reflux of material from the Plane of Dust created large deposits of Viridium, Bloodstone and other materials that find use in the production of Shaitan gas weapons. As a consequence, there has been ongoing fighting here for centuries, with the Efreeti seeking to break the power the of the Shaitan military through denying them their deadliest weapons. Few soldiers can tolerate the toxic environment, and so both sides deploy mostly constructs in this lethal area and there is a constant threat of dead soldiers rising as undead. In recent months, the Efreeti have steadily lost ground here as their supply of constructs had to be spread over ever more fronts, leading to the loss of two forward bases and Shaitan troops being able to push the Efreeit out of the larger caves and into small tunnels. The terrain now greatly favors the Shaitan and their leaders are hopeful that they can push out the Efreeti entirely in the coming years.

The Clanholds - Neutral
Large volumes of the Plane of Earth are sparsely settled by clans of Xorn and Earth Giants and while the Shaitan are always eager to gain control over one clan or another, their slow and methodical approach leaves the vast majority of settlements out of their grasp and thus neutral in the ongoing war. In the past, the Efreeti tried to incite attacks on the Shaitan or find allies among these disparate clans, but with little success beyond causing some incidents of petty banditry. Some of the Shaitan commanders are worried that the Efreeti might be willing to hire expertise from Baator, now that they are leaning ever more strongly on Diabolical mercenaries, but so far there is no evidence of this happening.

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Offers and Requests

Peerless Empire

Scouting the Veil
With the Sultan of Brass going so far as to effectively cede territory to Baator to have the routes through the Veil of Brimstone protected, the Sultana is certain that something truly important must be hidden there. Djinn vessels are ill adapted to the environment, but Imperial gravjammers have operated there in the past without major problems, so she is asking you to consider to send them to the Veil for reconnaissance flights. She cautions you to only send level-headed individuals there, since any altercations with Baators forces in the area could lead to an escalation that could turn the tide of the war massively in the Brazen Thrones favour. In return, she offers full rights for the Imperium to claim any sites discovered in these flights.
[] [Scouting] Accept the offer. (Must send air force assets to the Veil of Brimstone next turn.)
[] [Scouting] Decline the offer.

Propaganda
The Sultana has expressed worry that people of the Imperium might gain a negative view of the Genie, since their first introduction to them is through the War of the Spheres and all the fighting and dying that it entails. Therefore, she has proposed to educate the people about the history, culture, traditions and norms of the Genie, so that people can better understand them and the reasons for this war. Some materials have already been prepared and would just require dissemination.
[] [Propaganda] Accept the request. (favor with the Sultana, potentially greater support for the war effort)
[] [Propaganda] Refuse the request.

Viridium Mines
The Shaitan are aware that a large deposit of Viridium was found beneath the Dornish desert and while their supply of the materials has become more secure in recent months than it has been in centuries, the Sultana is still interested in securing every deposit that the Peerless Empire can get hold of. The War of the Spheres will take a long time yet to be won after all. Therefore, the Shaitan are asking to receive a lease on the area to establish a military outpost and a mine, intending to pay for that right handsomely in other rare metals. However, neither the Dornish Lords, nor the local peasantry might be comfortable with having a foreign power station soldiers in their lands. Alternatively, the Shaitan would be willing to supply materials and enchanters to aid the construction of an Imperial base on the deposit.
[] [Viridium] Grant the Peerless Empire a lease on the area until the end of the War of the Spheres. (+30 Supplies each turn)
[] [Viridium] Promise to build a base there yourself and to sell the Viridium to the Peerless Empire. (+80 Supplies, must build new military base in central Dorne, containing at least 1 Manufactory and costing at least 100 Supplies)
[] [Viridium] Defer the choice for now. (Might be able to gain benefits later.)

Undead Miners
With the Blightstone Caves containing a wide variety of highly toxic substances, mining has always been expensive and dangerous there, especially when chasing the more elusive treasures like Blight Quartz. Though the court in the Opaline Vault is still dubious about the use of Imperial undead, the commanders of the the mines have succesfuly made the case that they would be perfect to aid their work crews. Before that can be arranged though, the advisors of the Sultana insist on a study being conducted to ensure that the Soulforged Undead are as safe as thought, even under these circumstances. Part of the deal would be more than generous shipment of materials for the creation of the test undead, which is quite obviously a bribe taken from the mines budgets, and a set of samples of what is being mined in the Blightstone Caves. If everything works out, they would also throw their weight behind the Imperium gaining the necessary trade permits to buy more.
[] [Miners] Perform the feasibility study. (requires a Research Action, gain 20 Supplies, gain samples of Abysium and Blight Quartz, can unlock other opportunities if successful)
[] [Miners] Defer the choice for now. (Might be able to gain benefits later.)

Poison Vats
The Shaitan have become aware that the Fleshforge in Gogossos has been used by you to mass produce some venoms and alchemical precursor substances, and are interested to find out if these processes could be adapted to refine some substances for their own weapons. If successful, they would supply enough materials to create a small production plant and share the formula for a refined form of Viridium that they used in combat in the past. It has since fallen out of favor as the Peerless Empires enemies have learned to adapt to it's use, but it would still be a deadly weapon against people and creatures that don't have the wealth of an empire to protect themselves from such attacks.
[] [Poison] See if you can produce the materials that the Shaitan want. (requires a Research Action, if successful gain 1 Manufactory in Gogossos and the formula for Viridium Gas)
[] [Poison] Defer the choice for now. (Might be able to gain benefits later.)

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Caliphate of Armun Kelisk

Willing Elementals
One of the greatest problems that the Djinn face in their efforts to adjust their spelljammers to the Plane of Fire is a lack of elementals to bind into the engines. While the Djinn have long experience and skill in enticing elementals to be bound for some duration, they simply lack the easy access to the Plane of Fire that would be needed to recruit on their own. With the new elemental forge however, you could create a large batch of Fire Elementals and the Djinn would be willing to give you a great amount of enchantment materials and the services of skilled alchemists in return. However, it is very unlikely that they can get every of the newly created elementals to serve them, so you would be left with quite a few of them who would need other purposes in their new lives.
[] [Elementals] Create a large number of Fire Elementals for the Djinn. (+100 Supplies, will need a Ministry of Magic action to avoid problems when integrating those elementals that refuse to serve the Djinn)
[] [Elementals] Refuse the request.

Joint Training
Most large fights in the Plane of Air involve spelljammers and thus the Djinn forces are used to fast exchanges in the open sky, with attacks on fortified position an exception, not the rule. As such, despite the age and experience of their warriors, they are woefully unprepared for attacking any Efreeti positions on their own, which is why they so far mostly acted as support for the Shaitan. The Caliph would like to change this as soon as possible and is thus asking the Imperium to hold some joint training exercises and to provide the Djinn the opportunity to train fighting a dug-in enemy.
[] [Training] Agree and let the Marshalls organize such training. (requires a Military Action per turn until succesfuly completed, might learn something from the Djinn)
[] [Training] Refuse the request.

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AN: More detailed information on most of the locales is available on request, but the post is long enough without going into every detail for every place.