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

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Interlude CDLXXXVII: Where Justice Lies
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    • Where Justice Lies ​

    <Previous Treasure Fleet's Tales Next>

    Thirtieth Day of the Ninth Month 293 AC

    The whims of a ruler were powerful things, Vaelena thought to herself as she looked upon the palatial apartments that had been granted her this evening, fanciful cerulean arcs rose into a depiction of unfamiliar stars surrounding the crescent moon, the tables wrought of ebony and sandalwood fitted in complex geometric patterns such that it must have been months or perhaps years of work for a master artisan to craft them, the bed of finest silk, though thankfully all in soft blues to match the room and not the sort of gaudy display one might find in the Archon's palace in Tyrosh. All in all a chamber fit for a princess by adoption, even one whose standing would last only for a handful of days and must be bought in blood besides.

    Still, no matter the beauty of the chamber or how sweetly it called one to slumber Valaena could not bring herself to sleep. She would be fighting to the death on the morrow. It was strange knowing that as though it were only a spar in the Circle of Battle. The girl found she could not sit still running over strategies in her mind, wondering if she should go find some of the guards or servants and learn more of the one she would face in battle.

    As it happened the latter impulse would have been an utter waste for as she stared at the play of moonlight through the balcony curtains the shadows began to weave together in a way that recalled Wisdom Teana's magic, and from those shadows stepped a figure garbed all in black. She almost jumped from the bed drawing her weapon, but at the last moment stayed her hand. It would be a poor assassin able to weave such magics who would manifest right where she was looking. That meant either a messenger or...

    "Princess Safir, I presume?" Valaena guessed speaking High Valyrian. "To what do I owe the honor of the visit?"

    "Cannot an aunt visit her newest niece to offer some advice?" The voice that answered in the same tongue was harsh, as though roughened by smoke and flame, though the face that turned to her was young still, perhaps three years older than her brother the Shan.

    "Would the advice happen to be that I should find myself in some other place than upon the sands of the Great Courtyard by dawn?" Valaena asked archly. "I confess that thine skill sorcery is no small thing, my lady, but it does not daunt me."

    "Nor did I suppose it would," the shadow-binder replied surprisingly. "You are a dragonrider, yes, it is said that such a breed is without fear for the courage of the dragon is within you."

    "I'm not insane, only one who holds her given word in high esteem," the young Velaryon deflected the flattery easily.

    "So you are..." Dark eyes narrowed in thought. "But might there be some things you hold in higher esteem still, justice perhaps? What did my feckless liar of a brother tell you? That I consorted with demons perhaps? That I was mad with the lust for power and other lust besides? I could stand here and recount all the slander and foul rumor cast upon me until sunrise and still it would not be done. All because I was more skilled than him at lessons of state, surer than him in the saddle and upon the deck of a ship both. And now I challenge him by holy law and he claims not to wish to fight a woman. His hired blades did not seem troubled by it," she gave an bitter laugh.

    In spite of herself the young Velaryon found herself almost agreeing. Would she not have been consigned to ever be lesser than her infant brother if it had not been for the King's fateful request a year ago? Forever dreaming of dragons but never reaching for the sky? Perhaps Safir could be a better ally than her brother. A fire of conviction began to rise within her...

    The thought cut off abruptly as she remembered a conversation she had with Wisdom Malarys over tea two months past. 'Trust your instincts in battle and in sorcery, but never in politics', he had advised her then. 'For most men their 'gut' is simply a monkey wishing to have the flees picked out of its fur before all the others, for us who bear the blood of Valyria it is far worse. Those instincts would be entirely content burning everything within a hundred leagues of home to ash and picking out shinny things out of the ruin to make a bed of them'.

    "How would you rule if you were in the Shan's place?" Valaena asked as though beginning to waver, silently invoking the power of her earring so she could see the princess' face better.

    "I would cut away the rot of the court, remove the parasites that have grown fat on the throne's indolence, and carve out the lands to better stewards that they may be administered in the crown's name and with the coins to gather, why there is much to be done. Building a greater trading fleet as it was in the days of my great grandfather, Shan Ilus, cut back the jungle and raise great works by which all the people of the realm should be proud of. Then they will see my rule is worthy and so will all the world."

    Safir would drown the city, the realm, in blood in the service of vengeance and grand dreams,     Valaena realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew why King Viserys had spared the magisters of the Free Cities and it was not for any love of slavers. To rule by the sword alone was to rule a field of corpses.

    It would take one far more skilled than her to move the shadow-binder from her path the young dragonrider knew, but she had to try. "Why rule here when you have so many other skills than these petty nobles could dream of. My King had helped many raise lands from the wilds with people eager to take to the task..."

    "Because it is my destiny," Safir spoke with with terrible finality, anger sparking in her eyes.

    "Only if you get past me," the warrior answered quietly, the word of translocation almost upon her lips that she might reach her chain should the other woman choose battle here and now.

    Instead the shadows twisted, a bitter wind blew, and Valaena Velaryon was alone in the room again, saddened but resolved to her task all the same.

    OOC: For anyone wondering why Valaena did not have anywhere near the social stats for her attempt at persuasion to work, this was more a character piece to show what drives her beyond the search for adventure or recognition.
     
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    • The problems here, if I have understood the situation correctly, have been caused and therefore can only be corrected by beings that are so far above our weight class it isn't even funny. If we can draw support from here and in turn push support towards it we should, but this is above our paygrade and we have far more immediate and serious problems.
     
    Last edited:
    DragonParadox said:
    Where Justice Lies ​

    Thirtieth Day of the Ninth Month 293 AC

    The whims of a ruler were powerful things, Vaelena thought to herself as she looked upon the palatial apartments that had been granted her this evening, fanciful cerulean arcs rose into a depiction of unfamiliar stars surrounding the crescent moon, the tables wrought of ebony and sandalwood fitted in complex geometric patterns such that it must have been months or perhaps years of work for a master artisan to craft them, the bed of finest silk, though thankfully all in soft blues to match the room and not the sort of gaudy display one might find in the Archon's palace in Tyrosh. All in all a chamber fit for a princess by adoption, even one whose standing would last only for a handful of days and must be bought in blood besides.

    Still, no matter the beauty of the chamber or how sweetly it called one to slumber Valaena could not bring herself to sleep. She would be fighting to the death on the morrow. It was strange knowing that as though it were only a spar in the Circle of Battle. The girl found she could not sit still running over strategies in her mind, wondering if she should go find some of the guards or servants and learn more of the one she would face in battle.

    As it happened the latter impulse would have been an utter waste for as she stared at the play of moonlight through the balcony curtains the shadows began to weave together in a way that recalled Wisdom Teana's magic, and from those shadows stepped a figure garbed all in black. She almost jumped from the bed drawing her weapon, but at the last moment stayed her hand. It would be a poor assassin able to weave such magics who would manifest right where she was looking. That meant either a messenger or...

    "Princess Safir, I presume?" Valaena guessed speaking High Valyrian. "To what do I owe the honor of the visit?"

    "Cannot an aunt visit her newest niece to offer some advice?" The voice that answered in the same tongue was harsh, as though roughened by smoke and flame, though the face that turned to her was young still, perhaps three years older than her brother the Shan.

    "Would the advice happen to be that I should find myself in some other place than upon the sands of the Great Courtyard by dawn?" Valaena asked archly. "I confess that thine skill sorcery is no small thing, my lady, but it does not daunt me."

    "Nor did I suppose it would," the shadow-binder replied surprisingly. "You are a dragonrider, yes, it is said that such a breed is without fear for the courage of the dragon is within you."

    "I'm not insane, only one who holds her given word in high esteem," the young Velaryon deflected the flattery easily.

    "So you are..." Dark eyes narrowed in thought. "But might there be some things you hold in higher esteem still, justice perhaps? What did my feckless liar of a brother tell you? That I consorted with demons perhaps? That I was mad with the lust for power and other lust besides? I could stand here and recount all the slander and foul rumor cast upon me until sunrise and still it would not be done. All because I was more skilled than him at lessons of state, surer than him in the saddle and upon the deck of a ship both. And now I challenge him by holy law and he claims not to wish to fight a woman. His hired blades did not seem troubled by it," she gave an bitter laugh.

    In spite of herself the young Velaryon found herself almost agreeing. Would she not have been consigned to ever be lesser than her infant brother if it had not been for the King's fateful request a year ago? Forever dreaming of dragons but never reaching for the sky? Perhaps Safir could be a better ally than her brother. A fire of conviction began to rise within her...

    The thought cut off abruptly as she remembered a conversation she had with Wisdom Malarys over tea two months past. 'Trust your instincts in battle and in sorcery, but never in politics', he had advised her then. 'For most men their 'gut' is simply a monkey wishing to have the flees picked out of its fur before all the others, for us who bear the blood of Valyria it is far worse. Those instincts would be entirely content burning everything within a hundred leagues of home to ash and picking out shinny things out of the ruin to make a bed of them'.

    "How would you rule if you were in the Shan's place?" Valaena asked as though beginning to waver, silently invoking the power of her earring so she could see the princess' face better.

    "I would cut away the rot of the court, remove the parasites that have grown fat on the throne's indolence, and carve out the lands to better stewards that they may be administered in the crown's name and with the coins to gather, why there is much to be done. Building a greater trading fleet as it was in the days of my great grandfather, Shan Ilus, cut back the jungle and raise great works by which all the people of the realm should be proud of. Then they will see my rule is worthy and so will all the world."

    Safir would drown the city, the realm, in blood in the service of vengeance and grand dreams,     Valaena realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knew why King Viserys had spared the magisters of the Free Cities and it was not for any love of slavers. To rule by the sword alone was to rule a field of corpses.

    It would take one far more skilled than her to move the shadow-binder from her path the young dragonrider knew, but she had to try. "Why rule here when you have so many other skills than these petty nobles could dream of. My King had helped many raise lands from the wilds with people eager to take to the task..."

    "Because it is my destiny," Safir spoke with with terrible finality, anger sparking in her eyes.

    "Only if you get past me," the warrior answered quietly, the word of translocation almost upon her lips that she might reach her chain should the other woman choose battle here and now.

    Instead the shadows twisted, a bitter wind blew, and Valaena Velaryon was alone in the room again, saddened but resolved to her task all the same.

    OOC: For anyone wondering why Valaena did not have anywhere near the social stats for her attempt at persuasion to work, this was more a character piece to show what drives her beyond the search for adventure or recognition.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    One of the nice things about having a rational main character is that he surrounds himself with rational minor characters, this was a sensible decision between the lukewarm but calm man and his opponent a firebrand who will drown the place they are meant to rule in blood.
     
    zxzx24 said:
    Does that include psychiatric care?

    Edit: actually no. Aside from death sky awfulness the sheer lack of things to do is killing people.
    Click to expand...
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    Guess the need hope and a sensible project to channel that into.

    Rebuilding tiny parts of heaven in an inferior work under they eyes of Devils and knowing they can't stand against what first broke it is not the kind of work that would help.

    I don't think we can do much here until we have at least the manpower to kick out the Devils and offer constant and efficient protection from Daemons, Deep Ones and diabolic retaliation for that slight.
    Not in any near future I could see.
     
    Wow, I am really bitter. God damn.

    @Duesal the suicide and despondence is likely supernatural and socioeconomic in nature. The old gods will likely know how to address the first once we grow a heart tree here, and we're actually kitted out to break the second ones knees with a baseball bat.

    I would recommend buffing ourselves as high as we can and using Ears of the City – d20PFSRD

    We also need to venture into the dreamland's. Should let us know what is feeding on people and hopefully get a glimpse of the cities state of mind.

    Edit: @Artemis1992 devil's are no more pleased by people sitting around until they literally die than the angels are.

    If for different reasons. They just don't think it's their problem.
     
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    justlove said:
    The problems here, if I have understood the situation correctly, have been caused and therefore can only be corrected by beings that are so far above our weight class it isn't even funny. If we can draw support from here and in turn push support towards it we should, but this is above our paygrade and we have far more immediate and serious problems.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    True; on the other hand it's background knowledge and motivation - existence itself is unraveling, the Other's are a symptom not a cause and the Plane of Balance could well be the fulcrum on which all hinges. Loose that, too, and final existence failure will come soon, not in some distant future.
    Besides that, it might also cause a reevaluation of our priorities.
     
    I agree with what others have said about the heaven arc. It has been really fun to read with some of the best chapters in a while. But it also seems kinda overwhelming (also because I'm totally unfamiliar with the lore/systems of the planes in dnd. I'm more familiar, and will hopefully have more to say once we are back in westeros.)
     
    Actually we can.

    We have two options. We either grow a godswoods and dream out from there... Or we visit a temple to a friendly diety.

    They take pains to war their holy areas, should be safe there.

    Edit:

    :facepalm:

    literally dying with ideas over here guys.
     
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