Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
#TeamSanity
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
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- 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
#TeamSanity
- Location
- florida
This made me laugh really hard. Thank you.
The following abilities are always active on the planetar's person, as the spells (caster level 17th): detect evil, detect snares and pits, discern lies (DC 20), see invisibility, and true seeing. They can be dispelled, but the planetar can reactivate them as a free action
Fair, I suppose if he or anyone else feels the need to direct a divination our way then we are already in hot water. Not like anyone's running around with detect life or detect thoughts running.
Just like, I think mindblank masks our "regular dude" signs as well, so that's a thing to keep in mind.
Also if he doesn't bring it up it means the 7 haven't spilled the beans, or at least he hasn't felt the need to act.
The fact that he is ruthlessly manipulating things many find sacred (the theology of the Faith) to pit people against each other as a distraction from practices they would find abhorrent (Blood Magic). Just to be clear I'm not saying this to influence you against it, just saying it out so you actually see it and understand the perspectives of those who oppose you a bit more.
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- Location
- florida
Great metal band name.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I like "The Slayabouts", personally.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Missing my point yet again. How is he meant to know we have Mind Blank by looking at us with those? All he gets is 'no evil, no lies, nothing invisible, all is as it appears to be'.
It is effectively impossible to detect Mind Blank without firing divination spells at someone under it.
enigma1995
Gentleman Beholder
[X] Snowfire
- Location
- florida
I think you are also missing my point, but you have convinced me it won't be a problem.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I hadn't already?!
One can keep a secret if the entire room is on fire and they're fire proof!
- Location
- Germany
@DragonParadox @Snowfire
In this setting True Sight did always show some truth about the person observed, right?
Not just Viserys being a dragon, but also hints of the true nature of human people.
How normal is it to use Truesight on someone and get nothing besides what they seem to be?
Just having no unusual picture for Dywin could already be suspicious.
In this setting True Sight did always show some truth about the person observed, right?
Not just Viserys being a dragon, but also hints of the true nature of human people.
How normal is it to use Truesight on someone and get nothing besides what they seem to be?
Just having no unusual picture for Dywin could already be suspicious.
- Location
- Castle
If someone looks at Dywen with True Sight they might notice he isn't as old and kindly as he appears to be
Hardly the most objectionable thing in a Begging Brother.
Hardly the most objectionable thing in a Begging Brother.
Cloak of Khyber is specifically designed to fool true sight, so it shows the recipient for what they have transformed into on ever level, though it does not say falsify auras so if you need and aura of good to pretend to be an angel you need another spell to project that. That's fine for Dywyn though since there's no reason h can't just be assumed to be finding auras though some lesser magic.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Implying the Seven are capable of proactive action.
- Location
- Argentina
I'm betting that Lucan is frustrated as hell at them
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I would make a joke about unresolved sexual tension and proactive action, but it would probably be a mite too much. So let's do a tally instead.
*is buried under the landslide*
- Location
- florida
a
I considered adding,
they've managed to fuck literally everything else up so far,
Vote closed.
- Location
- Philippines
Wololo!
There, fixed that for you.
[X] Snowfire
It's the thought that counts...
- Location
- ?????????
If they act violent or do violent things then they are breaking the law and as such will be brought to justice. If a particular group is being violent then the Inquisition will look into them and if need be rip them out root and stem. The Inquisition was made to find bad actors, both magical or otherwise.
My wish for Lucan is to either understand that attempting to kill us is a waste of both our times and acknowledge all the good we have done with magic despite not being blessed by the Seven or sacrifice him to the Heart trees to assuage the Old Gods a bit more. Frankly I prefer the latter. However as per the laws of our empire he would work for us anyway (Scholarium law and mages) and with Visery's high stats in Diplo we can see if he is bullshitting so we don't have to worry about him backstabbing us. Other than that if he wants to help his gods gain any "understanding" then that is his business.
Again as long as they get humbled and the Old Gods are satisfied I don't care how it is done. I frankly prefer the method of breaking the faith into multiple denominations (Protestant reformation and all that) and making sure to stamp out any of them that get too violent. The faith won't get any ideas about politics if they are too busy debating if the Seven are seven aspects of one god or Seven separate gods.
Frankly I don't see the whole ask them to take responsibility thing working because from the way I see it the Seven did "what they had to do" to escape from Valyria. They looked out for themselves and made it so that their people never saw themselves as refugees but as conquerors. So feeling remorseful for "doing what you had to do" is probably not going to happen. The Old Gods of course do not feel the same way and that is what matters.
If a subset is born that doesnt not care about looking nice, being violent or even seen as consorting with demons, devils deep ones or any other creature then they are breaking the law. Also this is what the Inquisition was made for. For finding creatures who would destabilize the realm through manipulations like this. Also it isn't like we would let it escalate to this point. The Inquisition, when it isn't being used to grow, is primarily used to spy on our own citizens to see if they are doing anything illegal. Consorting with other powers counts as such.
Obviously if we splinter the faith into multiple denominations then we won't tell them we did it.
As a side squabbling means arguing to me. So in this case it would mean arguing with other members about the nature of fey or something. Healthy debate is the most of the conflict that would be allowed. Because they have two different answers. If it escalates to violence then we will deal with it by the law.
- Location
- ?????????
[X] Snowfire
Winning vote
[] A Civilised Interrogation
-[] Greet Gerald with no small amount of wonder, appropriate for one living in an age of miracles, but who has not truly seen one such as this before. This should be relatively easy, as we have not, in fact, ever met a Planetar before.
-[] "I admit, I had come seeking Sister Maer [use a different title if it would be more appropriate] but the Seven must have blessed me this day for my steps to bring me to you, [Insert theological title for an angel] Gerald."
-[] Allow time for one of them to ask why (one of them will), then continue, "After speaking with Brother Lucan this day, I believe I have been deceived by some among the rumours which followed his works. I was told that you, Sister, met with him before the Conclave, and believed that barring a companion of his which I had been unable to find after our debate," this is going to be a touch confused and respectfully leading, given the presence of a Planetar in the Sept now, "I had hoped you might be willing to aid me in finding where the whispers strayed from fact into fiction."
-[] Turning to Gerald, "Yet who better than one who stood beside Brother Lucan at Crakehall to aid in that, if it would be reasonable to ask that?"
-[] Aim after this is standard information gathering, attempting to learn more of Lucan through the lens of Dywen, having clearly found some of what he had been told by others to be false. Pursue this along the line of a simple man of Faith, simply attempting to learn more of a brother. This is also an excellent opportunity to learn more of Gerald himself, and show respectful interest in the man, leavened by some worldliness as to otherworldly beings, but only a fraction - Dywen's background the Reach, he'll have seen Fae before. This is different, but not completely so. Still, take care to not be too familiar, as that would be a powerful giveaway.
--[] If the occasion presents itself, try to work in giving thanks for the act of the Faith taken to the crafting of helpful wonders, with the aim of pointing to the possible...implications of such work. Simple human fear, nothing more, but in Maer's mind at least it might plant a seed.
[] A Civilised Interrogation
-[] Greet Gerald with no small amount of wonder, appropriate for one living in an age of miracles, but who has not truly seen one such as this before. This should be relatively easy, as we have not, in fact, ever met a Planetar before.
-[] "I admit, I had come seeking Sister Maer [use a different title if it would be more appropriate] but the Seven must have blessed me this day for my steps to bring me to you, [Insert theological title for an angel] Gerald."
-[] Allow time for one of them to ask why (one of them will), then continue, "After speaking with Brother Lucan this day, I believe I have been deceived by some among the rumours which followed his works. I was told that you, Sister, met with him before the Conclave, and believed that barring a companion of his which I had been unable to find after our debate," this is going to be a touch confused and respectfully leading, given the presence of a Planetar in the Sept now, "I had hoped you might be willing to aid me in finding where the whispers strayed from fact into fiction."
-[] Turning to Gerald, "Yet who better than one who stood beside Brother Lucan at Crakehall to aid in that, if it would be reasonable to ask that?"
-[] Aim after this is standard information gathering, attempting to learn more of Lucan through the lens of Dywen, having clearly found some of what he had been told by others to be false. Pursue this along the line of a simple man of Faith, simply attempting to learn more of a brother. This is also an excellent opportunity to learn more of Gerald himself, and show respectful interest in the man, leavened by some worldliness as to otherworldly beings, but only a fraction - Dywen's background the Reach, he'll have seen Fae before. This is different, but not completely so. Still, take care to not be too familiar, as that would be a powerful giveaway.
--[] If the occasion presents itself, try to work in giving thanks for the act of the Faith taken to the crafting of helpful wonders, with the aim of pointing to the possible...implications of such work. Simple human fear, nothing more, but in Maer's mind at least it might plant a seed.
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Part MMDCCCXLI: In the Balance of the Faith Part Seven
In the Balance of the Faith Part Seven
Sixteenth Day of the Ninth Month 293 AC
Heedless of your thoughts, the mask of Dywen stays in place as firmly as if it were your face in truth. You have thrown the dice on deceptions against far worse odds then this and a small voice in your head reassures you that if it came down to it, you could certainly take the angel in battle if it came to the worst. But outwardly you smile at both of them, carefully measuring the median between a friendly guest and a content man of faith. "I admit, I had come seeking you, Sister Maer, and it is kind of you to entertain me on short notice, but the Seven must have blessed me this day for my steps to bring me into the presence of an angel in the flesh." As you speak you sweep your gaze over both of them, letting it linger a little longer on Gerald and his wings. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Most Holy Ser."
Archaic the title might be an overwrought beside, but if there is one thing the courts of Essos taught you then how a spot of unctuous flattery could pierce the guard of those unprepared for it. After a brief twitch of his wings and an inscrutable look, the Planetar waves you off. "My presence here is not as a warrior, but as one among many servants of the Seven. Thus I ask you call me Brother Gerald as you would any other."
The surprise showing on your face is certainly exaggerated, for you would have expected one of the Fathers angels to put at least some importance on his station. With a clink of her tea cup, Sister Maer draws your attention back to her. "These are strange days when angels come to have tea with you and ask you to call them Brother, aren't they? Had you told me that I would live to see such a thing a score years ago, I would have called you mad. Yet here we are." With another clink her cup settles back on the saucer and is pushed away, the septa folding her hands on the desk and looking straight at you. "But forgive the ramblings of an old woman. I assume you have a reason for visiting me, Brother?"
Idly you wonder at her table manners that stir memories of peaceful days in the Wind House. It is rare to see someone handling a tea set properly in Westeros, even among the nobility. Though you are not here to discuss the merits of adding cream before or after the sugar, instead you resume a quiet different kind of sweetness. "There is nothing to forgive. In my opinion it might just breed wisdom in the young, were they to ramble more before springing to action."
She laughs not, just a small smile playing at her lips, and you get the odd sense that the woman you see before you is not quite the same as a few days ago. She seems calmer, more content, and yet you doubt the curing of her sickness is the entire reason for this. "After speaking with Brother Lucan this day, I believe I have been deceived by some among the rumors which followed his works. I was told that you, Sister, met with him before the Conclave and believed that, barring a companion of his which I had been unable to find after our debate, you might be willing to aid me in finding where the whispers strayed from fact into fiction."
The shift is small in both of them, though to your experienced eye it's still clear as day. Septa Maers mood sours at once, betraying the most likely cause of her good cheer before. The angel Gerald though looks all the more wary at once, tinged with a hint of frustration. There is still this odd sense of kinship welling in your chest at the idea of Lucan sharing your loathsome lot of being slandered by a thousand tongues in a thousand taverns, yet it still wars with an altogether different feeling of disgust, for there is still no telling if the rumors might not yet be true.
"If you have met the man then you should know already." The words come a twitch more hotly then necessary, though not precisely directed at you. It seems as if Sister Maer has not quite forgotten that she too believed the tales just a short time ago. "By my reckoning it's the work of those seeking to gather mages to themselves. What better way to drive a woods witch into the arms of the Golden Shields then the specter of some divinely anointed monster coming for her hide? Have a few sailors and traders spin the yarn some further, and suddenly Brother Gerald here has come to raise the Faith Militant and drown the land in blood."
In the privacy of your thoughts you must admit that the theory has merit. It would be mighty convenient for someone like Tywin Lannister to have mages flock to his banner for protection, making it all the easier to force bindings on them as a condition. The man has committed far greater sins then slandering the Faith, even by your reckoning. However, there is one in this room who would know the truth and be unable to lie about it by his very nature. "Well, Brother Gerold, what has happened in truth? If the rumors were to be believed, he has slain any mage he came across, though that sounds hardly like the man I spoke to."
It is an odd realization to you that you have begun to read the tells of beings so alien to mankind with just as much ease as a conman does his next mark. The slight twitching of his seven wings, the small flickers in his halo, they all tell a story, no matter how much the angel tries to hide them. "It might be best if you spoke to Brother Lucan himself, for I am not the most suitable one to talk about rumors. I have not been with him for that many months, the rumors already a fixture on our path as I joined him. And besides, I do not indulge in rumormongering, so I can not tell you what might have spawned them." He is uncomfortable. This conman has found his mark.
Quickly you run a mental tally of your approaches, the mask of Dywen covering the few heartbeats it takes with a thoughtful sip on his tea. "But certainly you know about some things, like the matter in Crakehall. I wish not to pry, Brother, but as he quoted to me, 'Not from words, but deeds you will be exalted'. I merely would like to know what deeds stand behind his words."
For a moment, the Planetar is silent, looking straight at you with a thoughtful look, judging you silently by some unknown measure. A familiar spark of indignant annoyance at being judged by some deathless thing wells up in your chest and is squashed with old practice before Gerald begins to speak again. "The twisted spawn of the sea had taken residence in Crakehall, one of the defilers leading a cult it had assembled from those unfortunate enough to have their will enslaved by his fel powers. What they did with these people then I can't tell, for I know too little of these matters, but I saw the damage that it did. They all were made sick, some in body and some in mind, a twisted rot that consumed all it touched, though Brother Lucan seemed convinced that their goals were darker yet."
Silence reigns as the angel stares into the air, likely seeing the consequences of the Illithids experiments before his minds eye again. His voice has lost the bell like timbre as he speaks again, leaving only a dull baritone that sounds far more like a man then an angel. Even the light shining from his eyes has dimmed, leaving your keen sight to glimpse a shade of blue beneath. "Brother Lucan healed as many as he could. The wounds of the flesh were easy to mend after the rot had been cut and burned away, but their minds less so. Many were plagued by nightmares and twisted urges. Others went babbling mad. We did what we could for them and Brother Lucan even found a few wealthy merchants willing to donate money for the care of those who would take longer to recover. But many among them... there was a wrongness to their thoughts... a hunger... and Brother Lucan insisted that it would be his blade to do the deed..."
As he trails off, Sister Maer scoots closer with her chair and places a comforting hand on one of Geralds wings, the only part of him that she can reach from across the large table. It is an awkward gesture, yet the angel looks greatly touched by it none the less and the sheen of light returns slowly to his features. "It is dark times we live in when even one such as me needs comfort from it's horrors."
Sister Maer just smiles in return as she draws back her hand again. "Is that not why we have Brothers and Sisters?"
As you watched the scene, your drank in every syllable of the tale, every motion and every gesture to find perhaps the one thing the Planetar would wish to hide from you, yet there was nothing. Instead you saw all too clearly the earnestness of Sister Maer and Brother Gerald interacting with each other. Whatever else you might gleam from this meeting, you know without the shadow of a doubt that Sister Maer is lost to you.
What do you do next?
[] Speak about something else.
-[] Write-In
[] Take your leave and return to the others. There is nothing to be gained here.
OOC: Here we go, some more pieces fall in place.
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