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

[Massgamer]

[X] Azel

 

[Azel]

Not sure what Azel's theory is, but I've always figured it's because deep down the Hound knows he won't actually win that fight. He's constantly thinking about how he would kill Gregor if this thing or that wasn't there to stop him the same way a 'tough' guy will let his friends 'hold him back' from getting in a bar fight with someone sufficiently badass looking.
Sandor in a very real way never got up from that fire, The Mountain is still crushing him in his own mind day in and day out.
He's scared.

Click to shrink...

That's part of it, but not all of it. My thoughts on Sandor:

1. He fears his brother.
Pretty obvious why and also rather obvious that this is the case. In his POV's, he made a clear reference to considering a minotaur far less scary then his brother and while he defeated the raging bullman trying his level best to beat him to pulp, he has zero confidence in beating Gregor. It also shows clearly in the weird idea to face Gregor in SD, despite zero evidence of him coming in the first place. He dreads this confrontation, which is why he makes excuses for himself to not fight him, despite it being as easy as walking up to him with a sword in hand and starting the murdering process. Or, you know, just stabbing him in the back when they are both at home.

2. He hates himself.
Sandor feels guilty for not having stopped the death of his sister and likely that of his father too. Him killing his brother is an attempt to atone for the perceived sin of having let them die without doing anything. That he likely couldn't have done anything for them is secondary. Sandor is alive, they are not, and that is enough to cause survivors guilt and thus self-hatred. This couples with the first point into terminally low self-esteem. He isn't proud of anything and actively rejects the idea of anything good or nice happening to him. He calls himself Hound and insists on not being called Ser. He feels unworthy of anything he achieved, because what he didn't achieve is saving those dear to him.

3. He has no life outside Gregor.
As weird as it may sound, but revenge on his brother is the only thing he has. It gives his life meaning and focus. Due to the second point, he has never built up anything for himself and due to the first point, he can't even fall back on the idea of claiming Clegane Keep after nailing his brothers head to the door. Once Gregor bites it, either by his hand or by someone else doing the deed, he has literally nothing left. And he fears that even more then his brother. He won't have any distraction from his sorrows anymore, no excuse to lay about and doing nothing with himself, and yet he will still be haunted by his past. Nothing of this is nice, so he would rather not think about, let alone face the prospect of winning against the Mountain.


So, ultimately, if we hand Sandor a suicide vest made out of Alchemist Fire and Explosive Packs, I give it good odds that he would thank us and go on to blow himself and his brother to tiny giblets. Since this is a sub-optimal way to utilize him, we instead need him to face his problems. Given his personality and how deep the hole he hides in is, that won't be pretty and will involve some violence, but it's the only real way. He would reject any kind words or nice gestures out of hand. Just look at how much effort it took for him to accept being loaned a new blade for the tourney. And how little he was moved by the idea of winning the thing.

But hey, hammers usually don't forge themselves. And if he gets over all of this? He will be both fiercely loyal and terrifying on the battlefield.

 

[mrsean22]

[X] Azel

 

[Knack]

[X] Azel

Sandor isn't exactly a favourite character of mine, I feel more pity then affection for him. I'm hoping a rousing bout of fratricide will help. Also also turning him into a Praetorian would be rad as hell.

 

[firefrog600]

That's part of it, but not all of it. My thoughts on Sandor:

1. He fears his brother.
Pretty obvious why and also rather obvious that this is the case. In his POV's, he made a clear reference to considering a minotaur far less scary then his brother and while he defeated the raging bullman trying his level best to beat him to pulp, he has zero confidence in beating Gregor. It also shows clearly in the weird idea to face Gregor in SD, despite zero evidence of him coming in the first place. He dreads this confrontation, which is why he makes excuses for himself to not fight him, despite it being as easy as walking up to him with a sword in hand and starting the murdering process. Or, you know, just stabbing him in the back when they are both at home.

2. He hates himself.
Sandor feels guilty for not having stopped the death of his sister and likely that of his father too. Him killing his brother is an attempt to atone for the perceived sin of having let them die without doing anything. That he likely couldn't have done anything for them is secondary. Sandor is alive, they are not, and that is enough to cause survivors guilt and thus self-hatred. This couples with the first point into terminally low self-esteem. He isn't proud of anything and actively rejects the idea of anything good or nice happening to him. He calls himself Hound and insists on not being called Ser. He feels unworthy of anything he achieved, because what he didn't achieve is saving those dear to him.

3. He has no life outside Gregor.
As weird as it may sound, but revenge on his brother is the only thing he has. It gives his life meaning and focus. Due to the second point, he has never built up anything for himself and due to the first point, he can't even fall back on the idea of claiming Clegane Keep after nailing his brothers head to the door. Once Gregor bites it, either by his hand or by someone else doing the deed, he has literally nothing left. And he fears that even more then his brother. He won't have any distraction from his sorrows anymore, no excuse to lay about and doing nothing with himself, and yet he will still be haunted by his past. Nothing of this is nice, so he would rather not think about, let alone face the prospect of winning against the Mountain.


So, ultimately, if we hand Sandor a suicide vest made out of Alchemist Fire and Explosive Packs, I give it good odds that he would thank us and go on to blow himself and his brother to tiny giblets. Since this is a sub-optimal way to utilize him, we instead need him to face his problems. Given his personality and how deep the hole he hides in is, that won't be pretty and will involve some violence, but it's the only real way. He would reject any kind words or nice gestures out of hand. Just look at how much effort it took for him to accept being loaned a new blade for the tourney. And how little he was moved by the idea of winning the thing.

But hey, hammers usually don't forge themselves. And if he gets over all of this? He will be both fiercely loyal and terrifying on the battlefield.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the analysis.

 

[Elvarein]

With regards to Sensor could we offer to resurrect his sister? To buy his forbearance?

Edit: and solve some of that guilt?

Or is making that offer a big issue in the first place?

 

[firefrog600]

That's part of it, but not all of it. My thoughts on Sandor:

1. He fears his brother.
Pretty obvious why and also rather obvious that this is the case. In his POV's, he made a clear reference to considering a minotaur far less scary then his brother and while he defeated the raging bullman trying his level best to beat him to pulp, he has zero confidence in beating Gregor. It also shows clearly in the weird idea to face Gregor in SD, despite zero evidence of him coming in the first place. He dreads this confrontation, which is why he makes excuses for himself to not fight him, despite it being as easy as walking up to him with a sword in hand and starting the murdering process. Or, you know, just stabbing him in the back when they are both at home.

2. He hates himself.
Sandor feels guilty for not having stopped the death of his sister and likely that of his father too. Him killing his brother is an attempt to atone for the perceived sin of having let them die without doing anything. That he likely couldn't have done anything for them is secondary. Sandor is alive, they are not, and that is enough to cause survivors guilt and thus self-hatred. This couples with the first point into terminally low self-esteem. He isn't proud of anything and actively rejects the idea of anything good or nice happening to him. He calls himself Hound and insists on not being called Ser. He feels unworthy of anything he achieved, because what he didn't achieve is saving those dear to him.

3. He has no life outside Gregor.
As weird as it may sound, but revenge on his brother is the only thing he has. It gives his life meaning and focus. Due to the second point, he has never built up anything for himself and due to the first point, he can't even fall back on the idea of claiming Clegane Keep after nailing his brothers head to the door. Once Gregor bites it, either by his hand or by someone else doing the deed, he has literally nothing left. And he fears that even more then his brother. He won't have any distraction from his sorrows anymore, no excuse to lay about and doing nothing with himself, and yet he will still be haunted by his past. Nothing of this is nice, so he would rather not think about, let alone face the prospect of winning against the Mountain.


So, ultimately, if we hand Sandor a suicide vest made out of Alchemist Fire and Explosive Packs, I give it good odds that he would thank us and go on to blow himself and his brother to tiny giblets. Since this is a sub-optimal way to utilize him, we instead need him to face his problems. Given his personality and how deep the hole he hides in is, that won't be pretty and will involve some violence, but it's the only real way. He would reject any kind words or nice gestures out of hand. Just look at how much effort it took for him to accept being loaned a new blade for the tourney. And how little he was moved by the idea of winning the thing.

But hey, hammers usually don't forge themselves. And if he gets over all of this? He will be both fiercely loyal and terrifying on the battlefield.

Click to shrink...

I mean we can give meaning in the looming threats to all of humanity that exist. Such demons, devils, literal species of brain eaters, evil outsiders, and the other to care about. There's more than enough for a hound to chew off for several lifetimes.

 

[Azel]

With regards to Sensor could we offer to resurrect his sister? To buy his forbearance?

Edit: and solve some of that guilt?

Or is making that offer a big issue in the first place?

Click to shrink...

It would be. He would very likely reject it as a unearned act of kindness.

On that note, the framing of the last question of my vote is very deliberate. If Sandor is at fault for not stopping his brother, then so is Tywin. He had both the right and the power to have Gregor killed for kinslaying after he offed his father, which would have meant that he wouldn't have been around to murder Sandors sister. It helps him to get some perspective and to let go of some of that guilt.

 

[One Autumn Leaf]

So the Darrys are still watching the tourney correct?

 

[The Sandman]

Would it help if we offered him a job as Elia and Rhaenys' bodyguard, you think?

Although we should impress upon him (and Oberyn, for that matter) that the preferred fate for the Mountain is getting an extra-thick rope and having him dance the hemp fandango next to Tywin and Lorch. No death in the arena, no grand battle against men of honor, just a criminal's end and an unmarked grave for the Mountain-that-Rapes.

 

[Snowfire]

<< Previous

Horde Thief
Chapter 37​

"What do you mean, someone to report to?" I asked, as Kathy stepped back into the house, giving us space to enter. I reached out with my wizard's senses again, probing the space around us, wary for a trap. Never let it be said that I don't learn, even if it takes a few near-death experiences for the lesson to get through. "Kathy, I'm not sure what you've heard of Wardens, but we're," she cut me off.

"You're keepers of the peace, and…soldiers, right?" She asked. I nodded, opening my mouth to qualify the statement, but I didn't get the chance. "Then of course you're who I need to talk to, to explain how this place was kept safe after that night two years ago, when the nightmares came and the monsters followed." She gave me a look, the type a mother might give a slightly slow child. "But we shouldn't talk about this out here. Please, Warden," there was no obvious tell in her expression, but somehow I could tell that she needed this, in a way I couldn't understand. My eyes twitched to Viserys, to find him watching the young woman with a detached calm, but no outright suspicion.

"Alright," I nodded gruffly, and stepped over the threshold. Having been invited in meant that I brought all my power with me, and my mental estimation of the woman's possible danger went up several notches as I felt the light touch of wards built into the solid threshold. This house was her home, and must have been for years. Maybe even her entire life, though that raised the question of where her parents where. As young as she was, they should have been alive. I wanted to ask, but if she was actually genuine about her offer of 'reporting', she'd explain then.

The house on the inside was very similar to its exterior: old, but well cared for. Bits and pieces ahd clearly been rebuilt in the last few years, new panelling here and there, or a section of ceiling that didn't match the rest. Very little technology, too, which meant the kid had power with a capital P. Minor practitioners can usually keep technology around without much issue, it's only as you start to move towards the lines that mark you as strong enough to be a wizard that you lose access. I can kill a copier at fifty paces, without even meaning to. The lack of even lightbulbs suggested that Kathy was in a similar position.

The short entrance hall opened up into a combined living area that must have taken up a third of the house. Kitchen, sitting room, and the small table to one side with a few chairs said it was where she ate, too. Again, there was little in the way of technology, and a wood-burning stove stood where a conventional cooker would have been in any other home, a clever arrangement of pipes channelling the smoke up to a chimney that had clearly not been in the original designs. All in all, it reminded me fiercely of my old apartment, though quite a bit larger and lighter. Of course, being above ground would help with that.

"Can I get you anything?" She asked, turning to face you as you came into the room. "It's still a bit cool," this was cold? "But I have some iced tea in the cooler if you'd like some."

"There is no need," Viserys said smoothly, nodding appreciatively with what appeared to be utter sincerity, "but I would not stand between you and any obligations you feel as our host." Kathy coloured faintly, then nodded firmly and bustled over to the kitchen spaces.

"Please, sit down," she called, leaning down to open her fridge, an icebox like I'd had, if I wasn't mistaken, and withdrawing a half-full jug. I heard Viserys mutter a word as she rummaged in one of the cupboards for glasses, and looked over to see him focus briefly, a spell of some sort obviously. He caught the shift in my attention, and looked back, nodding once towards the tea. If only his magic was similar enough for me to learn. A spell like that could be invaluable to me.

We sat, taking chairs instead of the comfortable looking sofa which faced away from the kitchen, Viserys leaning over towards me as he did so. "No one else here that Varys can sense," he murmured, and I felt myself relax a touch. Not much, there was too much strangeness to this town for that, but Varys had rarely been wrong about her accounting of minds present.

Kathy returned from the kitchen, walking carefully to the small sitting area and placing the jug and three glasses on the coffee table between them. She poured each and let us pick our own before taking one herself. "Kathy," she straightened in place as I addressed her, and I was struck again by how young she was. "You know a little of what we are, but the simple question is that if you do, why are you happy to see us?"

She took a moment before she replied, sipping from her glass, and when she looked up any thoughts about her youth were gone. Her eyes were…wrong. Not inhuman, but simply scarred, in a way I'd rarely seen. Not just pain, but knowledge, too, and I deliberately kept my own gaze clear of hers. You learn to do that surprisingly fast as a wizard. Finally though, she replied. "Because if you're here, then I can stop." Her voice was pitched low, touched by the echo of pain. "Two years, Warden, ever since the night of nightmares brought the monsters out of the shadows."

"You mean the Fomor?" Viserys asked calmly, and pure hate blazed in Kathy's eyes for an instant at mention of the name.

"Yes," she said, the word far too level. "The night the nightmares came, they broke into the house. Or their servants did, not-men, trying to take me away. My parents woke up and tried to stop them, dad got a few, but the not-men the Fomor make are faster than us," she shook her head. "I heard my parents die, Wardens. I knew I was next. I had nothing to defend myself but my magic, but I did have that, and I don't think the Fomor knew how much I'd learnt. Only that I had talent."

She nodded toward the hallway, where sections of the walls had been replaced, in a pattern that looked like they'd been torn away. "That's where I stopped them. I did a little more damage to the house than I'd have liked, but I stopped them. Compared to what they'd have done to me, though," she shuddered, "I called it a fair trade."

That was impressive. It also meant that the young woman across from me was far more than a minor practitioner juiced up on Black Magic – if that was truly involved. To call up the sort of force that would have stripped the walls like that, Kathy was White Council material. And to control it, too? "How did you do it?" I asked, touching my lips to the glass.

"I'd…well I'd experimented with my magic before. I have an affinity, I think that's what it's called, for working with the air, and power behind it, but I'd never needed it. I did then, more than I'd ever thought I would. So I called up a wind and made it sharp." She waved a hand towards the hallway, the casual motion hiding a very non-casual pain. "After that, the servants retreated, called for one of their masters." She was leaving…something out there. She must have killed, Fomor servitors didn't care about injury or even necessarily their lives. Yet, I wasn't sure if it mattered as far as the First Law was concerned. Servitors weren't exactly human anymore. "The first, no," she shook her head. "Sorry, it's hard to keep track of it all."

"It's alright." I said, and I meant it. "They came back?"

"They tried to, but one of the neighbours called the police. I couldn't, our phone was completely dead after what I'd done." Any serious evocation would blow out technology all around it, I was surprised the neighbour's phone had been working. "I learnt then that they didn't like to be seen by the authorities, but trying to report the attack as what it was…there wouldn't be any point. It was filed as a home invasion gone terribly wrong. There was even an article about it in the paper." Her tone was light as she said so, but I wasn't blind. Time had helped, but the trauma was still there. Psychic scarring, imperfectly healed even now.

"But they did come back," Viserys said. Even though it wasn't a question, Kathy nodded.

"They did," She agreed, fingers tightening around the glass in her hand. "A few days, no, a week later. They had one of Them with them this time, a real Fomor, to counter my magic and let the not-men take me. It w- almost worked, but mom and dad saved me again." She tilted her head back towards the door. "Their love and care was still all around the place, and I've done all I can to keep it there. That night, the power of it, it's called a threshold, right?" I nodded, and she went on. "The Fomor's magic couldn't come inside, and they didn't bring enough not-men." A quiet, predatory satisfaction bloomed in those words, only for an instant, but enough that I was able to see it. Not deliberate, I thought, but still there.

"After that, it was...busy. There were others in the town that the Fomor wanted, and I had to save them. It took so much," she trailed off for a moment, then looked back to me. The senior Warden in her mind, presumably. "Sorry, it seems odd not to be able to at least put a name to you."

"Harry Dresden," I said, then, motioning towards Viserys. "And Corlys Waters."

"Thank you," she said. "The next year and a half went like that, Warden Dresden. The Fomor would try to take me, or others, and I'd…find a way to stop them. Survival is a very good teacher, even if it never takes prisoners." Sorrow touched her voice again, a feeling I knew very well. "I think they stopped trying after that, except to check that I was still here. I had to hide myself from the police sometimes, but I was there when I needed to be. Even when…other things started coming out, as if the Fomor hadn't been enough. I had to learn, and very quickly. I learnt what I know of Wardens from the smarter ones. A few times I was accused of being one, but hiding my cloak. I wasn't sure what that meant at first."

Petty fae and other creatures of the night, what I'd dealt with often in Chicago. Less dangerous in some ways than the Fomor, but far more difficult to learn how to deal with. Naked force didn't work on all of them. "How did you deal with them?" I asked.

"Time," she said, after a moment. "I learnt their boundaries, they learnt mine, but even with them under control the town wasn't safe." I felt my heart begin to sink. "There were…others in town, we'd never had drugs or gangs in a bad way, but it's hard for the police to keep them down. I, well, I tried to help. As much as I could. Just little things, you know? Messing with runs, breaking up recruitment drives. They never saw my face."

"Did you hurt anyone?" I asked, and she shook her head almost violently.

"No, no! I wouldn't, not unless I had to. And they were just people," her voice caught, "I'd saved some of them so many times before, I couldn't just, no. No, Warden Dresden. Not everything is perfect now in town, but it's…better, you know?"

"I see," I considered my next words carefully. "Kathy, how did you learn to defend yourself? I've seen what the Fomor can do," what I was trying not to say was that I couldn't see how she could have done some of what she said she had. Something about what she'd said, little bits and pieces, bothered me. "Without a teacher, how did you learn fast enough?"

"I've always been smart, Warden Dresden. Magic is…well, it's energy, isn't it? We can make it change the world around us, but it's still just energy. And that's, that's math. I didn't have much to begin with, but I don't think they expected me to have anything. Even a child can defend themselves if the predator doesn't know you have a knife."

I swallowed carefully. "And is that what your magic is to you?" I tried not to make it judgemental, I really did. Kathy surprised me again, with a laugh.

"Warden, magic is never just one thing. It's so much more." I recognised the wistful joy in her voice, I'd heard it in my own. "I'd already learnt that before the first monsters came. After they did, all I needed was enough time."

"But," I began, her words sending my mind spinning down logic chains, trying to find the missing piece of the picture. Viserys drew in a breath, and a moment later, I got it. And went very, very still.

"Warden?" Kathy asked, confusion evident on her face. I swallowed again, much more carefully. I'd not been able to sense power, but of course I wouldn't have. Not if I was right.

"Kathy," I said slowly, and swore inwardly as something in my voice made her tense up. I took a moment to spare a glance at Viserys, who was staring at the woman with an expression as close as I'd ever seen to wonder. Had he worked it out, too? "How many times did the Fomor come for you the day they killed your family?"

"Just once," she told me, but her voice quavered as she did so. Part of my self swore at me, screamed for me to stop. Asking for her to relive this was cruel. But it was the only way I could be sure, I told that part of me firmly, burying it without mercy.

"And how many times until you won?" She winced, and I mirrored the action mentally as I felt her crumple inside. Stars and stones, this was hurting her, but we needed to know.

"Thirty seven."

Next >>​

 

[Duesal]

Would it help if we offered him a job as Elia and Rhaenys' bodyguard, you think?

Although we should impress upon him (and Oberyn, for that matter) that the preferred fate for the Mountain is getting an extra-thick rope and having him dance the hemp fandango next to Tywin and Lorch. No death in the arena, no grand battle against men of honor, just a criminal's end and an unmarked grave for the Mountain-that-Rapes.

Click to shrink...

I'm not sure Elia and Rhaenys would be quite ready to be guarded by a Clegane, for all that none of this was Sandor's fault.

[X] Azel

 

[Snowfire]

I did not plan for this chapter to be done today, but it just flowed in and demanded to be written. Next update will come tomorrow or Monday, probably the latter but if I'm lucky tomorrow, though I was distinctly not today. I'm sure people are going to have a lot of questions here, and I'd like to direct you to the excellent post made by @Walliseatscheese on the subject. How much I lifted from it in whole cloth I'm not going to comment on, but that post had a major effect on the way this particular section was written. Thanks for the great outline!

For those curious, and I expect there to be quite a few, there are unique circumstances in play here. Chapter 38 will address some of those, and I'd be willing to explain the rest in a longer post on the subject after that if people would like – I'll ask then. And yes, this means I'm bending my self-imposed rule quite heavily, but this is a section that I feel needs to come close together in the handling. So, here we are. This is going to be…interesting.

 

[Massgamer]

2. He hates himself.
Sandor feels guilty for not having stopped the death of his sister and likely that of his father too. Him killing his brother is an attempt to atone for the perceived sin of having let them die without doing anything. That he likely couldn't have done anything for them is secondary. Sandor is alive, they are not, and that is enough to cause survivors guilt and thus self-hatred. This couples with the first point into terminally low self-esteem. He isn't proud of anything and actively rejects the idea of anything good or nice happening to him. He calls himself Hound and insists on not being called Ser. He feels unworthy of anything he achieved, because what he didn't achieve is saving those dear to him.

3. He has no life outside Gregor.
As weird as it may sound, but revenge on his brother is the only thing he has. It gives his life meaning and focus. Due to the second point, he has never built up anything for himself and due to the first point, he can't even fall back on the idea of claiming Clegane Keep after nailing his brothers head to the door. Once Gregor bites it, either by his hand or by someone else doing the deed, he has literally nothing left. And he fears that even more then his brother. He won't have any distraction from his sorrows anymore, no excuse to lay about and doing nothing with himself, and yet he will still be haunted by his past. Nothing of this is nice, so he would rather not think about, let alone face the prospect of winning against the Mountain.

Click to shrink...

Could we offer to revive his father, mother, and sister? Maybe just his sister? Assuming any of them answer the call of course.

 

[firefrog600]

Could we offer to revive his father, mother, and sister? Maybe just his sister? Assuming any of them answer the call of course.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I was thinking about that but people don't want to use resurrection willy nilly.

 

[Goldfish]

"And how many times until you won?" She winced, and I mirrored the action mentally as I almost felt her crumple inside. Stars and stones, this was hurting her, but we needed to know.

"Thirty seven."

Click to shrink...

Fuck the White Council. If this girl can mess with time that well, she's worth more than the entire council.

Viserys, recruitment speech time!

 

[firefrog600]

Fuck the White Council. If this girl can mess with time that well, she's worth more than the entire council.

Viserys, recruitment speech time!

Click to shrink...

Merlin did it first. wonder how long it took to make demonreach.

 

[Snowfire]

Fuck the White Council. If this girl can mess with time that well, she's worth more than the entire council.

Viserys, recruitment speech time!

Click to shrink...

Please note the presence of a certain Harry Dresden beside you. Whom Viserys calls Ser for a reason that has nothing to do with him being the Winter Knight. And who, however grudgingly, believes that the Laws exist for a reason. See: Skin Game and Miss Ascher.

You know, just a minor problem

 

[Goldfish]

Please note the presence of a certain Harry Dresden beside you. Whom Viserys calls Ser for a reason that has nothing to do with him being the Winter Knight. And who, however grudgingly, believes that the Laws exist for a reason. See: Skin Game and Miss Ascher.

You know, just a minor problem

Click to shrink...

I bet he would make an unusually long-legged turtle.

Seriously, I hope Viserys would drop Harry like a sack of crap if he tries to execute her.

 

[The Sandman]

On the Horde Thief update, I was always under the impression that Laws of Magic 5-7 were less about "doing this corrupts the user" and more about "doing this runs an unacceptable risk of causing some or all or reality.exe to crash." Hence why what this lady was doing is problematic, no matter the results.

On the subject of Sandor, the most important question is who the third woman will be. We've already got Moonsong and Leto, but you really need at least three potential girlfriends for a proper waifu war.

 

[firefrog600]

On the Horde Thief update, I was always under the impression that Laws of Magic 5-7 were less about "doing this corrupts the user" and more about "doing this runs an unacceptable risk of causing some or all or reality.exe to crash." Hence why what this lady was doing is problematic, no matter the results.

On the subject of Sandor, the most important question is who the third woman will be. We've already got Moonsong and Leto, but you really need at least three potential girlfriends for a proper waifu war.

Click to shrink...

Some of them for potential corruption, some are about don't touch that shit its dangerous, others are just we don't want humans to do shitty things to humans, and some are a mixture.

 

[Walliseatscheese]

Fuck the White Council. If this girl can mess with time that well, she's worth more than the entire council.

Viserys, recruitment speech time!

Click to shrink...

I bet he would make an unusually long-awaited turtle.

Seriously, I hope Viserys would drop Harry like a sack of crap if he tries to execute her.

Click to shrink...

Like I said, catnip.

Also like I said, emotionally complex.

That she can control Time like that puts her on a hit list that would probably put her on the Blackstaff's desk.

Like, Harry is going to be horrified right now, because 1, she's good people, and 2, she's one of the biggest threats he's ever encountered on a personal threat scale.

She is effectively a Master Chronomancer. The changes to the world she could bring about are near infinite, and there's no one who could stop her.

This is going to be one of the most important social encounters of Harry's life, so thank God Viserys is here to try to thread the needle.

This is basically an immensely shitty situation with the potential to have world altering consequences, and the only thing keeping everything together is the fragile psyche of someone who has been operating solo in an active combat zone for possibly decades at this point.

Kathy has survived this long so she isn't without a strong will, but as has been discussed recently, Hope can break people, and Harry and Viserys being here is the closest signal of "A Good End" that she's likely seen in a long long time.

I'm barely keeping coherent right now but there are unfortunately practical reasons why Chronomancers are hunted down with nearly as much prejudice as Outer Gates Summoners. Right now I'm seeing the "best end" to be Smoky Bottle combined with an Oath to fully protect this little town by the White Counsil.

 

[Crake]

It would burn every fireproof bone in Viserys' body not to try to save her.

He's risked his neck on principle for someone who dared to take the first step against damnation.

This woman fought against it with tooth and claw. Thirty. Seven. Times.

 

[firefrog600]

Like I said, catnip.

Also like I said, emotionally complex.

That she can control Time like that puts her on a hit list that would probably put her on the Blackstaff's desk.

Like, Harry is going to be horrified right now, because 1, she's good people, and 2, she's one of the biggest threats he's ever encountered on a personal threat scale.

She is effectively a Master Chronomancer. The changes to the world she could bring about are near infinite, and there's no one who could stop her.

This is going to be one of the most important social encounters of Harry's life, so thank God Viserys is here to try to thread the needle.

This is basically an immensely shitty situation with the potential to have world altering consequences, and the only thing keeping everything together is the fragile psyche of someone who has been operating solo in an active combat zone for possibly decades at this point.

Kathy has survived this long so she isn't without a strong will, but as has been discussed recently, Hope can break people, and Harry and Viserys being here is the closest signal of "A Good End" that she's likely seen in a long long time.

I'm barely keeping coherent right now but there are unfortunately practical reasons why Chronomancers are hunted down with nearly as much prejudice as Outer Gates Summoners. Right now I'm seeing the "best end" to be Smoky Bottle combined with an Oath to fully protect this little town by the White Counsil.

Click to shrink...

There's not no one who could deal with it time manipulation has been around for a while.Merlin the first had done it and his master in magic was Odin who is still alive. I'm sure the white council who has a law against time stuff has people that fight that shit. Not to mention gods and probably fey who know about this stuff can probably fight it. I mean the archive being a font of all recorded knowledge that has ever existed obviously know a about some recorded time magics.not to mention beings with intillectus.

 

[065tdsa]

I bet he would make an unusually long-awaited turtle.

Seriously, I hope Viserys would drop Harry like a sack of crap if he tries to execute her.

Click to shrink...

This girl could drop Harry like nothing with that sort of chronomancy, if she was able to get 37 tries at the Fomor in her first time she could probably do over 100 repeats now. All Viserys would have to do is not get in the way.