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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 DXIII: On Fated Winds
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    • On Fated Winds ​

    Ninth Day of the Tenth Month 293 AC

    The fleet had left Vahar in good spirits, though more from the shore leave than any talk of duels, witches, or king's dealings Diana knew. Strange as it still seemed to her, most of the crew had rushed to patronize brothels and winesinks usually in an order that would make the experience more a blur for the senses than crisp and clear in the eye of memory. Why anyone would pay so much for so little lingering impression the captain had long since given up trying to understand. For herself she was quite content with the fresh sea spray in her hair and the recollection of a minor diplomatic triumph to 'feather her cap' as Moonsong was wont to say.

    Not only had they gained roughly sixty-thousand Imperial Marks in profits trading some of their silver for silks, perfumes, and spices under the auspices of the grateful Shan, but they had raised five more ships from the city's harbor to join their convoy, and the Queen Rhaella now bore a Vaharese envoy with a mission to speak before the Jade Throne and aid them in their mission. Granted Vishar was one of the Shan's less favored cousins sent off to the east for a bit to get in away from court for a time, but Diana had graciously not mentioned the matter during negotiations and focused instead on other more long term benefits—Scholarum access to the palace library seeking mystic texts, a lowering of tariffs for goods arriving from the west, and there had even been talk of the Shan's young son going to Sorcerer's Deep to study when he was of age for it.

    All things told while there had been nary a whisper of the word 'tributary,' the sheer power of the Treasure Fleet had let it be understood that Vahar for all its size and wealth was not dealing with the rising power in the west on equal footing, though most of the courtiers in attendance did seem to think that Sorcerer's Deep was far too distant to exert anything more than passing influence in the waters of the Cinnamon Straits. Diana did not dissuade them from the notion. No sense of conjuring a storm before your own prow.

    • Lowered Tariffs
    • +60,000 IM in net value to the Grand Expedition Fleet
    • 5 Vaharese Ships and one Vaharese Diplomat join the Grand Expedition Fleet
    • Scholarum access to Vaharese mystic texts
    • Possibility of the Shan's heir coming to Sorcerer's Deep to study in a few years

    Later the incarnate would wonder if the thought had been prophetic or simply ill-timed, for only a few moments later the lookout called down: "Storm! Coming up from the southeast to cut our path!"

    That felt to Diana like far too short a span to think as back clouds careened the sky, forcing the fleet to advance with sails at half mast from the wind alone. Then the rain began to fall, thick and heavy, colder than she had ever felt it this far south as thunder rolled heavily in the distance foretelling worse to come.

    "Think we should take to shore and cast anchor?" Diana asked seemingly into empty air, knowing that the Rhaella herself would hear her even if she spoke at a whisper.

    Even as the rigging hissed and the hatches closed under spirit's will and mortal hands alike, the dyrad approached on soft but hurried steps. "I don't think so. If the maps are right then the coast is rocky here with only trackless jungle beyond. I'd take my chances with the storm over being being tethered in place with my back to the rocks."


    "Most don't have your advantages," Diana reminded her partner. "Do you think riding it out makes sense for the rest of the fleet?" The pale faces and growing muttering among the crew members in earshot was proof enough that even those aboard the Queen Rhaella were not keen on the notion of facing wind and wave head on, though no one was going to gainsay the manifest will of the ship herself.

    "No," she replied slowly. "They are probably best served waiting it out even in so shallow an inlet." A bright almost mischievous smile flashed across her features. "Captain Moonsong is probably not going to take well to the notion."

    Indeed the Sprite Captain took to the idea of finding shelter from the storm about as well as Rhaella had anticipated. "There's something strange about this storm, magic in the air," she proclaimed. Remarkably most of her crew seemed to be right behind her, ready to kill and loot whatever was behind the magic storm, and so two ships drenched in faerie magic sailed straight on into the teeth of the storm while the others remained close to the safety of the shore.

    Black was the sky and high as mountains the swells under the hull fit to flood the deck and push them all under. Planks groaned in pain, girders shook, and ropes snapped overhead in the gusting wind. The oars dipped in the water again and again, driven by mortal strength and fey sorcery alike. Soon men who had been careless in securing themselves, or just unlucky on the path of the waves, began to fall overboard, their screams lost almost instantly to the terrible din of thunder and driving rain.

    "What do you want?!" the ship's spirit shouted into the eye of the wind.

    "Want?!" Diana called out over the howling of the wind.

    "It's a feeling," Rhaella replied. "Whatever's behind this, it... Look there!" Where the dryad pointed the silhouette of another ship showed on the horizon, even through the driving rain it looked... wrong. Broken, perhaps a wreck. Tales of ghost ships began to run through the incarnate's mind as the wind drove them closer, something stranger by far emerged before the eyes of the Rhaella's weary crew. Where there should have been masts upon the ship a gnarled tree grew ragged sheets of moss hanging from it in place of a sail and a trunk growing all across the deck and anchored to the hull with scores and hundreds of black grasping roots.


    "It's... calling to me..." the dryad trialed off. "I want to get closer." Perhaps unconsciously the ship began to turn in the direction of the wreck.

    "How are you planning to board in this?!" the captain asked. As though something had heard her, the fury of the storm seemed lessened even swifter than it had first appeared, the pale sun glimpsed through a sudden thinning in the clouds.

    Diana was intrigued, but not so much as to throw caution to the wind: "Be careful and get the engines ready," she warned as they approached further.

    OOC: So as I was thinking of an encounter table for this leg of the journey it occurred to me that the poor Queen Rhaella got very little screen time and less character development. The dice apparently agreed.
     
    Last edited:
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    • DragonParadox said:
    OOC: So as I was thinking of an encounter table for this leg of the journey it occurred to be that the poor Queen Rhaella got very little screen time and less character development. The dice apparently agreed.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Once again proving the ancient wisdom of D&D, never get on that boat, things lurk in the depths, and the gods are eager to unleash them on hapless adventurers.
     
    Oh? Another dryad ship? Perhaps one more.... jaded and bitter perhaps?
     
    On Fated Winds ​

    Ninth Day of the Tenth Month 293 AC

    The Fleet had left Vahar in good spirits, though more from the shore leave than any talk of duels, witches or king's dealings, Diana knew. Strange as it still seemed to her, most of the crew had rushed to patronize brothels and winesinks, usually in an order that would make the experience more a blur for the senses than crisp and clear in the eye of memory. Why anyone would pay so much for so little lingering impression, the captain had long since given up trying to understand. For herself, she was quite content with the fresh sea spray in her hair and the recollection of a minor diplomatic triumph to 'feather her cap' as Moonsong was wont to say.

    Not only had they gained roughly sixty thousand marks in profits trading some of their silver for for silks, perfumes, and spices under the auspices of the grateful Shan, they had also raised five more ships from the city's harbor to join their convoy. The Queen Rhaella now bore a Vaharese envoy with a mission to speak before the Jade throne and aid them in their mission. Granted, Vishar was one Shan's less favored cousins, sent off to the east in a bid to get him away from court for a time. Diana had graciously not mentioned the matter during negotiation,s and focused instead on other more long term benefits. Scholarum access to the palace library seeking mystic texts, a lowering of tariffs for goods arriving from the west, and there had even been talk of the Shan's young son going to Sorcerer's Deep to study when he was of age for it.

    All things told, while there had been nary a whisper of the word 'tributary', the sheer power of the Treasure Fleet had let it be understood that Vahar, for all its size and wealth, was not dealing with the rising power in the west on an equal footing. Most of the courtiers in attendance did, however, seem to think that Sorcerer's Deep was far too distant to exert anything more than passing influence in the waters of the Cinnamon Straights. Diana did not dissuade them from the notion. No sense of conjuring a storm before your own prow.

    • Lowered Tariffs
    • +60,000 IM in net value to treasure fleet
    • Scholarum access to Vahrese mystic texts
    • Possibility of the Shan's heir coming to SD to study in a few years

    Later the incarnate would wonder if the thought had been prophetic or simply ill-timed for only a few moments later the look out called down: "Storm! Coming up from the south-east to cut our path!"

    In what felt to Diana like far too short a span, thick back clouds careened across the sky, forcing the fleet to advance with sails at half mast from the wind alone. Then the rain began to fall, thick heavy, and colder than she had ever felt it this far south, as thunder rolled heavily in the distance foretelling worse to come.

    "Think we should take to shore and cast anchor?" Diana asked, seemingly into empty air, knowing that the Rhaella herself would hear her even if she spoke at a whisper.

    Even as the rigging hissed and and the hatches closed, under spirit's will and mortal hands alike, the dyrad approached on soft but hurried steps. "I don't think so, if the maps are right then the coast is rocky here with only trackless jungle beyond. I'd take my chances with the storm over being being tethered in place with my back to the rocks."


    "Most don't have your advantages," Diana reminded her partner. "Do you think riding it out makes sense for the rest of the fleet?" The pale faces and growing muttering among the crew members in earshot was proof enough that even those aboard the Queen Rhaella were not keen on the notion of facing wind and wave head on, though no one was going to gainsay the manifest will of the ship herself.

    "No," she replied slowly. "They are probably best served waiting it out even in so shallow an inlet." A bright almost mischievous smile flashed across her features. "Captain Moonsong is probably not going to take well to the notion."

    Indeed the sprite captain took to the idea of finding shelter from the storm about as Rhaella had anticipated. "There's something strange about this storm. Magic is in the air," she proclaimed. Remarkably most of her crew seemed to be right behind her, ready to kill and loot whatever was behind the magic storm, and so two ships in faerie magic drenched sailed on into the teeth of the storm while the others remained safer near the shore.

    Black was the sky and high as mountains the swells, fit to flood the deck and push them all under. Planks groaned in pain, girders shook, and ropes snapped overhead in the gusting wind. The oars dipped in the water again and again, driven by mortal strength and fey sorcery alike. Soon men who had been careless in securing themselves, or just unlucky on the path of the waves began to fall overboard, their screams lost almost instantly to the terrible din of thunder and driving rain.

    "What do you want?" the ship's spirit shouted into the eye of the wind.

    "Want?" Diana called out over the howling of the wind.

    "It's a feeling," Rhaela replied. "Whatever's behind this, it... Look there!" Where the dryad pointed, the silhouette of another ship showed on the horizon, though even through the driving rain it looked... wrong. Broken, perhaps a wreck. Tales of ghost ships began to run through the incarnate's mind, though as the wind drove them closer something stranger by far emerged before the eyes of the Rhaella's weary crew. Where there should have been masts upon the ship, a gnarled tree grew ragged sheets of moss hanging from it in place of a sail, and growing all across the deck anchoring it to the hull were scores and hundreds of black grasping roots.


    "It's... calling to me..." the dryad trailed off. "I want to get closer." Perhaps unconsciously, the ship began to turn in the direction of the wreck.

    "How are you planning to board in this?" the captain. As though something had heard her the fury of the storm seemed lessened even more swiftly than it had first appeared. She glimpsed the pale sun through a sudden thinning in the clouds.

    Diana was intrigued, but not so much as to throw caution to the wind: "Be careful and get the engines ready,"she warned as they approached closer to the wreck.

    OOC: So as I was thinking of an encounter table for this leg of the journey it occurred to be that the poor Queen Rhaella got very little screen time and less character development. The dice apparently agreed. [/QUOTE]
    Made some edits to the chapter, DP.

    Very tense chapter there toward the end. Super creepy tree ship, too. :o
     
    Who's our best diplomancer with the fleet (and here to talk with the creepy ship)?
     
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