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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
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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
Part MMCDLXIX: From the World's Edge
From the World's Edge
Third Day of the Seventh Month 293 AC
Over lunch you ask more of the latest expedition to help dig the Night's Watch out of the pit it has been cast into by centuries of neglect, feeling a twinge of guilt yourself for not having asked sooner, though it is quickly banished. You trust your friends' judgement in full, and no matter how powerful you grow there will always be only so many hours in the day.
"It was cold as hell. You know, the frozen one," Maelor explains. "Otherwise I felt right at home." When he laughs there's an edge of bitterness to it. "Killers, thieves, and fools the lot of them, scared shitless to your face and then taking that shit and smearing you as soon as you turn your back."
"What happened?" you ask, concerned.
"The usual sort of nonsense. They called out that we're in league with devils, had a septon toss holy water in my face, one drunk fool tried to proposition Aradia and would not take no for an answer until she blinded him..."
You nod in understanding, but continue with your questions just the same, asking after the new keeps and especially the weirwood door and any other esoteric remains of the Wall's past. Alas there does not seem to have been much among the keeps the Old Bear decided were worth restoring, besides that is the Nightfort itself which you had already raided for its lore.
However, even Maelor's still inexperienced eye is quite enough to see the true weakness of the Watch, not in lore, nor even in bravery, but simply warm bodies, not only to fight the horror in the north, but to organize, to mend the Wall, to feed the growing number of Black Brothers. Lord Stark had been sending them supplies when he could, mostly to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea by way of Manderly vessels. "We gotta get them that harvest luck spell..." Maelor offers.
"No," you cut him off. "That ritual would spread wildly in Westeros and without some sort of plan I feel that the Seven Kingdoms will be no better than than they are now, perhaps worse, for all folk high and low would look to magic with even more suspicion."
After a moment's thought he agrees though obviously ill at ease with the answer. "We will have to be shipping food in. It's one thing to convince a man to pick up a sword for a cause, but I can't think of many who would take up a plow for it."
As though by some whimsy of fate you soon discover a letter from Lord Commander Mormont in which he explains that the Lannisters have offered to solve his current woes and more beside on the condition that he break all contact with you. You can practically feel the rage flowing from the page like the heat of an unseen fire. He had perhaps unsurprisingly refused this attempt to draw the Watch into the politics of the realm, but warns that any further offer you might make to the Night's Watch could all too easily spark open conflict of some sort.
What do you do?
[] Send overt shipments to the Watch, it will gain you more standing in the North, but it will also make the Black Brothers even more of a target for your enemies
[] Send shipments of food covertly using your Braavosi contacts
[] Write in
OOC: Probably the shortest update we had in a while but it just would not fit elsewhere.
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- Location
- United States
Personally, I'm not inclined to stop. Wasn't this what we were anticipating? The Iron Throne and Lannisters reach too far, meddle with Watch affairs, then all of a sudden the North turns against them.
Besides, we're far from done with helping them. I wanna give them gold and magical plant monsters that obviously came from the Dragon King.
Besides, we're far from done with helping them. I wanna give them gold and magical plant monsters that obviously came from the Dragon King.
Good night guys, see you tomorrow with the new turn and the new system.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
One statue for every castle is still the goal. And we got only 1 to them as of right now.
Then there is obsidian weaponry we promised and never delivered.
We have quite a few reasons to continue supplying them.
We can probably go there for a day this turn, warn Watch of Brijidine's new place near them, drop off supplies, maybe have another foray inside the Wall's history (with all-out buffs on out part, and Mindblank, it should be way safer now)
Then there is obsidian weaponry we promised and never delivered.
We have quite a few reasons to continue supplying them.
We can probably go there for a day this turn, warn Watch of Brijidine's new place near them, drop off supplies, maybe have another foray inside the Wall's history (with all-out buffs on out part, and Mindblank, it should be way safer now)
- Location
- United States
We also still need to grow them more Heart Trees. One Heart Tree for every castle was the minimum, and we had Big Plans for the Nightfort and using the ancient weirwoods there to ward against the Others.
- Location
- Germany
@DragonParadox, what is necessary to summon a few low-level Archons again? Can we pour some resources on Yrael to make that happen on short notice?
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Ah-ah-ah, don't count your chickens yet!
We are still yet to get:
[] Scholarum Trainees report
[] Moonsingers' temple
Yes, I'm purposefully being obtuse and annoying with this now.
At least I don't feel like an asshole when I mention these books in the 100th time, when I'm doing it as a joke.
Feel free to ignore the last two here, as doing all of this and a turn plan, would, I feel, indeed take more than usual 3 daily updates.
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Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Keep sending them steaks. If the pussies don't like it or screw with the watch then we have our Casus Belli and then we start nuking the place like I've always wanted.
They leave the Black alone we win, they fuck with the Black we win more.
They leave the Black alone we win, they fuck with the Black we win more.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
[X] Send overt shipments to the Watch, it will gain you more standing in the North, but it will also make the Black Brothers even more of a target for your enemies.
-[X] Meet with Alliser Thorne to discuss what you have learned from the Lord Commander. The time nears for us to deliver additional aid to the Night Watch, including 13 Verdant Wolves. Does he think any of his fellow Brothers, himself included, are ready to return to the Wall?
-[X] Meet with Alliser Thorne to discuss what you have learned from the Lord Commander. The time nears for us to deliver additional aid to the Night Watch, including 13 Verdant Wolves. Does he think any of his fellow Brothers, himself included, are ready to return to the Wall?
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
[X] Goldfish
- Location
- France
Hold your horses! They're all still level 1!
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
To be fair, we had yet to have an update on them for this month.
Scholarum report~
*salivates*
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
As @egoo pointed out, we don't actually know what level they are at now. It's been at least a couple months since we first learned any of them had de-muggled themselves. They could be quite a bit further along now.
Really, though, it's just intended as something to speak with Alliser about, a topic of conversation. I don't think Alliser will actually say they are ready to return. If anything, he'll probably want more Brothers to be sent to Sorcerer's Deep ASAP.
- Location
- Brazil
I think a lesson here is that we have overdone it, by a lot, with the minor actions.
- Location
- United States
A solution I've suggested before is abstracting. A lot of these things we don't even need IC acknowledgement for, all we need is an OOC message from DP that these things have been happening in the background.
- Location
- France
No!
What about those who don't read every single one of our 10045 pages of discussion?
I liked the interlude where we got all that lore from Speak With Dead: it was all inside relevant spoilers, intermixed with a character piece.
Or think of rumor posts: we could have a "reports post" that works similarly.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Plan Have A Meeting And Bring Something Against Ulcers
-[X] Contact Jeor Mormont by Sending and request a very private meeting on short notice. If he feels there might be too many ears in his castles, a non-descript part of countryside would do fine.
-[X] Take Ser Alliser along for the occasion so that he can report to Mormont.
-[X] Offer Mormont three options on how to proceed from here:
--[X] Option 1 - Clean Break
---[X] We break off all association and supply shipments to the Nights Watch to ensure that it remains neutral and is not dragged into our conflict with the Iron Throne.
---[X] One last shipment, which was meant to be dropped off in the coming days, can be rearranged to look like "a lucky find" during a ranging. That means we transport the Plant Wolves and the magic items we wanted to send north of the Wall, where Benjen Stark or some other trustworthy group of rangers can "find" them.
---[X] As nobody will believe that the Black Brothers who studied in the Deep are not somehow subverted, he declares them all traitors and deserters and they stay in the Deep.
--[X] Option 2 - They Can't Prove A Thing
---[X] We switch over to more subtle supply methods. Between Red Scales Holding, the Iron Bank and the odd favor we can call in all over Essos, nobody will be able to figure out where these shipments and money are actually coming from.
---[X] The Black Brothers in the Deep will get very secret orders to take a ship and sail back to the Wall, stealing a lot of books, supplies, magic items and assorted things on their way out, risking their lives for the Watch as they battle the Evil Dragons minions and taking as much of his ill gotten possessions as they could. Magic items are a bit harder to smuggle, so he should err on the site of caution when making the list of what we pack in those crates for them to steal.
---[X] Warn him clearly that if this covered support becomes known, it would look like damning evidence of treason in the eyes of those who have already begun to smear the Night Watchs honor. Should this come to pass, we will give him any aid he requires to mitigate the damage, or no aid at all if that's what he thinks best.
--[X] Option 3 - This Is Bullshit And We All Know It
---[X] We keep everything as it is and overtly support him. Additional food shipments are a given in this scenario. The Night Watch is neutral and thus free to accept aid from whoever gives it.
---[X] If Ned Stark needs reassurances, we will swear before the Old Gods that we are not planning to use the Night Watch for a war against the Seven Kingdoms, do not plan to station troops in their holdings to launch an attack on Westeros, did not and do not plan to infiltrate their ranks for our own ends or do anything else that would violate their neutrality in political affairs of Westeros.
---[X] This oath has one obvious loophole. We can and will do everything necessary to ensure that the Night Watch can perform their ancestral duty, including direct military aid against attacks. Should an army cross into The New Gift with the purpose of attacking the Night Watch, it will be obliterated. Should the Lannisters send spies and assassins to harm the Night Watch or it's members, they will be dealt with.
-[X] Regardless of what he chooses is the best for his order, re-affirm that we will stand by him in the coming Long Night with all our might.
-[X] It is tiresome to see that self-adsorbed idiots creating these messes because they can't conceive of a world that doesn't revolve around themselves, but we will do what is necessary to see no others but them suffer for it.
We all know what he will pick, but it's important to give people the option to choose their fate. He needs our support and the interlude has shown quite clearly how very much he loves the idea of loosing it because Tywin Lannister doesn't comprehend the concept of boundaries, and the second option is something deeply revolting to straightforward and honest north-men like him.
Ultimately though, all options are fine. Either he openly embraces our aid, conspires with us against the Iron Throne or sits in Castle Black for the next year and mentally blames every single misfortune on those meddling Southrons that have cost him his most generous backer. Tywin fucked this up and all that's left to see in which currency our spoils will be paid out.
-[X] Contact Jeor Mormont by Sending and request a very private meeting on short notice. If he feels there might be too many ears in his castles, a non-descript part of countryside would do fine.
-[X] Take Ser Alliser along for the occasion so that he can report to Mormont.
-[X] Offer Mormont three options on how to proceed from here:
--[X] Option 1 - Clean Break
---[X] We break off all association and supply shipments to the Nights Watch to ensure that it remains neutral and is not dragged into our conflict with the Iron Throne.
---[X] One last shipment, which was meant to be dropped off in the coming days, can be rearranged to look like "a lucky find" during a ranging. That means we transport the Plant Wolves and the magic items we wanted to send north of the Wall, where Benjen Stark or some other trustworthy group of rangers can "find" them.
---[X] As nobody will believe that the Black Brothers who studied in the Deep are not somehow subverted, he declares them all traitors and deserters and they stay in the Deep.
--[X] Option 2 - They Can't Prove A Thing
---[X] We switch over to more subtle supply methods. Between Red Scales Holding, the Iron Bank and the odd favor we can call in all over Essos, nobody will be able to figure out where these shipments and money are actually coming from.
---[X] The Black Brothers in the Deep will get very secret orders to take a ship and sail back to the Wall, stealing a lot of books, supplies, magic items and assorted things on their way out, risking their lives for the Watch as they battle the Evil Dragons minions and taking as much of his ill gotten possessions as they could. Magic items are a bit harder to smuggle, so he should err on the site of caution when making the list of what we pack in those crates for them to steal.
---[X] Warn him clearly that if this covered support becomes known, it would look like damning evidence of treason in the eyes of those who have already begun to smear the Night Watchs honor. Should this come to pass, we will give him any aid he requires to mitigate the damage, or no aid at all if that's what he thinks best.
--[X] Option 3 - This Is Bullshit And We All Know It
---[X] We keep everything as it is and overtly support him. Additional food shipments are a given in this scenario. The Night Watch is neutral and thus free to accept aid from whoever gives it.
---[X] If Ned Stark needs reassurances, we will swear before the Old Gods that we are not planning to use the Night Watch for a war against the Seven Kingdoms, do not plan to station troops in their holdings to launch an attack on Westeros, did not and do not plan to infiltrate their ranks for our own ends or do anything else that would violate their neutrality in political affairs of Westeros.
---[X] This oath has one obvious loophole. We can and will do everything necessary to ensure that the Night Watch can perform their ancestral duty, including direct military aid against attacks. Should an army cross into The New Gift with the purpose of attacking the Night Watch, it will be obliterated. Should the Lannisters send spies and assassins to harm the Night Watch or it's members, they will be dealt with.
-[X] Regardless of what he chooses is the best for his order, re-affirm that we will stand by him in the coming Long Night with all our might.
-[X] It is tiresome to see that self-adsorbed idiots creating these messes because they can't conceive of a world that doesn't revolve around themselves, but we will do what is necessary to see no others but them suffer for it.
We all know what he will pick, but it's important to give people the option to choose their fate. He needs our support and the interlude has shown quite clearly how very much he loves the idea of loosing it because Tywin Lannister doesn't comprehend the concept of boundaries, and the second option is something deeply revolting to straightforward and honest north-men like him.
Ultimately though, all options are fine. Either he openly embraces our aid, conspires with us against the Iron Throne or sits in Castle Black for the next year and mentally blames every single misfortune on those meddling Southrons that have cost him his most generous backer. Tywin fucked this up and all that's left to see in which currency our spoils will be paid out.
- Location
- United States
Some actions are more important than others, like the Speak with Dead one that you brought up. Others we genuinely do not need to take up screentime with, we just need GM acknowledgement that yes, it's being accounted for. We could scale back the Minor Actions as a whole, but that's kind of all stuff we've been wanting to do (and we make an effort not to have frivolous actions there and generally stick to strictly useful things), so I don't see a way around that. If you're so against abstraction then the minor actions will just take up more time than necessary. That's kind of what we're stuck with. I for one would definitely not mind more OOC info in favor of moving things along. Not everything has to be covered IC.
[X] Azel
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
To be fair, I have always been in favour of summarising stuff more.
Much as I have taken it upon myself to bring out about 70% as much minor actions as Duesal does to very turn vote, there is a pretty stark contrast between having to take a chapter off because of a backlog of a 10 books unlooted, and taking a chapter solely for a mission report.
However, if DP is okay with doing it that way, I'm okay too.
After all, these past-month chapter do include these actions, instead of setting them into backlog, like would have been most convenient and easy on story's progression...
*looks at backlog of lore and books*
Well, mostly.
This sounds very much reasonable, but it is not often we do minor actions of same enough matter for them to be written together.
While expeditions/adventures can be reported together, doing them together with crafting, research, social interactions, etc is unviable.
And Speak to Dead is always going to ha e a separate chapter these days. That's for the best, though, I think.
TLDR: I ramble a lot, OOC-stuff is good, but we can only do so much stuff as a lot if it needs at least some on-screen coverage, and DP generally struggles to fit that in unless we are at the very end of the month.
[X] Azel
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