- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
... ending the Others before Night comes would be quite nice.
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
-
- Tags
- 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
- Germany
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I really wish I had the time to write up and argue for a different plan. Panic be damned, I think we should have voted to use a Merciful Dragon's Roar to hedge out any allies or minions Varys may have hidden in the crowd.
- Location
- Behind a keyboard
Hey @DragonParadox, I just wanted to chime in since there was some discussion about votes and interludes as pertaining to quest structure.
The quest is relatively heavy on interludes already per my own preference. I understand that their presence gives more time for voting and discussion (an issue that I agree could use improvement), but it comes at a significant cost to pacing.
This latest chapter is a pretty perfect example - there's a tense, climactic confrontation going on, and then we cut away to a slice-of-lifeish scene which has no real connection to the interrupted events. It's slightly less bad when following along real-time since that means there's a break anyway, but reading the updates one after another it really doesn't work. (Side-note, I really enjoyed the updates individually, just not next to each other.)
I don't really have much of an alternative to propose. Switching to longer updates with longer voting periods is the other obvious solution, but that would be a very big change in terms of style, and decision points would be less granular.
The quest is relatively heavy on interludes already per my own preference. I understand that their presence gives more time for voting and discussion (an issue that I agree could use improvement), but it comes at a significant cost to pacing.
This latest chapter is a pretty perfect example - there's a tense, climactic confrontation going on, and then we cut away to a slice-of-lifeish scene which has no real connection to the interrupted events. It's slightly less bad when following along real-time since that means there's a break anyway, but reading the updates one after another it really doesn't work. (Side-note, I really enjoyed the updates individually, just not next to each other.)
I don't really have much of an alternative to propose. Switching to longer updates with longer voting periods is the other obvious solution, but that would be a very big change in terms of style, and decision points would be less granular.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I've pointed it out before, and in fact earlier, that interludes in the middle of fights are discordant to the narrative.
Still, as you just pointed out, they give opportunity for people to parse an update and come up with a plan.
It's very much to the actual playerbase's advantage more-so than it is the lurker or casual poster, at least if he wants to keep the same level of pacing.
Two updates a day would still be very fast for this site, but there would only be so much he could fit into one update a day anyway, esp. for combat or actions that require multiple decision points because they involve different rolls.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
This seems like an obvious solution to the problem you suggested, for people reading updates concurrently rather than live.
- Location
- Castle
Isn't the Threadmarks system really laggy when it comes to add things or reshuffle them?
Cecylene
Eternal Idea Engine
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Pronouns
- He/They
Not to my knowledge, but then again most threads are not dealing with thousands of thread marks and millions of words.
- Location
- United States
Enchanted armor of some kind, possibly an enchanter turban, possibly an enchanted cloak or raiment, maybe some rings or talismans, and of course the whip. Not to mention the various undead corpses that we're due to collect."Flesh?" The laughter was like unto the breaking of bone. "I have not worn flesh since before your kindred forgot yourselves, since before you thought yourselves lords of the earth and not the sons of slaves and beggars." A ragged salt crusted horror, shinning with a dreadful inner light rose from the dunes, as though birthed from some desiccated womb. Pale maggots shone in the hollows of its eyes. It bore a whip longer than it was tall.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Caution!
This is not a drill!
Immediate activation of Aurane protocols is advised!
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
You say that as if there was any other possibility.
- Location
- United States
To start, I have so many Greater Curses I want to slam him with using our lovely Runestaff of Cursing we got in Valyria.
- DEX to 1
- STR to 1
- -6 to all mental stats
- -8 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and skill checks
- 25% chance to act normally
- Location
- Who knows?
He theoretically could have, unless the sacrifice part of his castration requires some work arounds to restore the same way raise dead doesn't work if someones soul is in a soul gem.
But I don't especially see why he would've fathered a kid or two? There's F!Aegon already in place and babies would probably be a liability. Unless he's twisted enough to want to sacrifice his own kids, but that seems more gratuitous than practical.
I'm not sure that applies. Vary isn't thick. He's too clever for his own good.
Caution!
This is not a drill!
Immediate activation of Aurane protocols is advised!
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
In my understanding, Aurane protocols apply to both ends of scale.
Having anyone progeny to either that much smarts, or that much stupid, is a bad thing
- Location
- Here and there
- Pronouns
- He/Him
On the one hand, missed the opening of the fight. On the other hand, I'm so happy. We have actual credible threats! This isn't going to be a boring one-sided stomp!
- Location
- florida
Mmmmm, no baby murder. Bad peeps.
There has to be easier ways to mind read people.
Especially Varys, he'd seems smart enough, oh wait. Tiamat and devil's, yeah dark powers sorry, sorry. Slipped my mind.
@Azel
I wanted to suggest giving him to one of our gods. He's probably got mind seals from Tiamat or the Mammon.
There has to be easier ways to mind read people.
Especially Varys, he'd seems smart enough, oh wait. Tiamat and devil's, yeah dark powers sorry, sorry. Slipped my mind.
@Azel
I wanted to suggest giving him to one of our gods. He's probably got mind seals from Tiamat or the Mammon.
Update in beta.
Part MMDXCII: A Dance of Steel
A Dance of Steel
Thirteenth Day of the Eighth Month 293 AC
Gasping from the sudden chill you nonetheless smile, seeing arrows arch above as Aradia joins the fray. Varys must have heard the hiss of steel parting the air for he moves aside with extraordinary deftness for one still constrained in the stiff black dress. Satisfaction glints in his eye for he thinks himself untouched, but you can see the blood flowing freely from his left shoulder where one of the arrows had cut as deftly as a surgeon's knife, the pain yet unnoticed. Glancing down you see blood spurting from his calf also where another wound saps his strength unnoticed.
"What do you fight for, Varys?" you ask, contempt dripping from your every word, more to keep him distracted than to hear the answer, for you are certain he will lie. "For pride's sake? To say that you have bested gods and demons in wit and cunning?"
"I fight for those who have not the strength to take up arms," he answers. "For those ground down in the wars of fools and madmen..."
You would laugh at the sheer arrogance of the words, be they lie or truth if you could spare the breath for it.
As your foe's wands come near to crossing again you hear the sound of soft steps approaching from behind him through the shocked onlookers. You glimpse Nuri, and so does he. You had been wise it seems not to have trusted in veils and set Aradia and Dany to look upon the square from far above.
Forewarned is not forearmed it seems, for though your foe twists to face the graceful dancer her blades flicker like silver flame through the air, tearing bloody gashes through his flesh. His gaze darts this way and that... towards the pool again. But he knows he has to get through you...
Again the cold light flashes between the pale wand and the dark, but this time you are ready, not paying the price of stolen time. The scales stolen from Mammon's own hide surge around you, catching the curse and flinging it back, as a ray of winter sunlight in a gilded mirror turned. There it hangs suspended, struggling against Varys' wards for a timeless instant before you speak the word Lya had engraved into your signet, and by that sorcery at last the weapon of the enemy is turned against him.
Shivers run through his flesh, and his clattering teeth are set in painful grimace as you draw Dark Sister in one hand and conjure a shimmering sphere around the three of you, cutting off Varys' escape, even as Vee sends a trio of conjured beasts to guard the pool against any surprises.
"The blood of the traitor will taste sweet," Dark Sister whispers in your thoughts, though she dutifully twists in your hand, striking him with the flat of her blade rather than the deadly edge. You have had enough foes who refuse to stay dead to know they must be captured alive.
Nuri tumbles along the edge of the sphere to guard your side, rising from her crouch, blades extended and savaging Varys, but still he somehow clings to consciousness enough to drop his wands and draw a scroll of power before at last collapsing to the cobbles, beaten.
A single glance downwards is enough to send a chill down your spine that had nothing to do with any lingering cold, a spell and seal of the ninth circle, no mere unraveling of magic but a seal that if unleashed would cut the threads of power all around it save what the bearer holds. That it could have cost you a fortune barely matters beside the fact that the son of a bitch could have killed Dark Sister likely beyond all recall.
Dany flashes over a moment later, though your mother seems hardly slower for not having wings. After assuring them that you are safe and well and checking in turn that Dany's fall had done her no lasting harm you turn back to the bloodied form of Varys and the frightened, confused crowd.
What do you do?
[] Write in
OOC: This includes things like how do you secure Varys and what do you do about the crowd. I'll have his items written up tomorrow since there are quite a lot of them, but they have no fluff text yet.