A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
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- 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
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Agreed. Not only is she not finishing the project this month anyway, but this is something she needs to be here for. Also... the more XP she has, the closer we get to her actually making Lya #2.
Interlude DXLXXIV: Glories of the Golden Court
Glories of the Golden Court
Twenty-Fifth Day of the Tenth Month 293 AC
The Gates of the Sun shone not with gold nor even with sorcery, but with the light of the sun cradled beneath its arch and sparkingly off the articulated open-faced helms of the Imperial Guard. The men's expressions showed no hint of fatigue, much less annoyance at being called to serve at the break of dawn just so a trio of strange foreigners might be given passage as Honored Guests into the Azure Palace with full ceremony. High Inquisitor Garin Drekelis could not deny that it made a grand, almost intimidating, sight, though the latter part may have been due to feeling ill at ease in the bright morning light.
"The path is fused stone," Waymar said as they reached the middle of the bridge that connected the Imperial Palace to the rest of Yin. "Not dragonstone like the Valyrians used, but definitely crafted by sorcery. Maybe that's where they got the idea..."
"I would not think so, they have been using geomancy for a long time here, for as long as the Rhoynar sang spell-prayers to their Mother Rhoyne," Tyene replied in like tone. "All the elements are held sacred here, but it is earth that is counted closest to artisan's work. I found a few scrolls that obliquely referenced..."
As Garin passed under the arch Tyene's voice faded to nothing. The golden light seemed to envelop him utterly, but it did not embrace him gladly. "Shadow-Touched, unclean... perilous..." Concepts that were less than words danced on the edges of his mind like burning splinters.
He cursed, though he could not hear his own voice. Garin could still feel his own power shifting, coiling, the key to a thousand doors begging to be used, but he knew that if he forced the gate the magic it would not be subtle in its passage, and the gods alone knew how the guards would take it.
"I am not your enemy, I passed through these halls before to bring aid in an hour of peril." So saying the Shadow-Touched mage opened his mind to the light so that they might see the memory of the hurried passage through the shadow of the palace and the battle at its end that left him drenched in the blood of fiends.
The searching gaze did not soften, no more than gears of adamantine could be said to soften, but it shifted. As suddenly as it had come upon him the light faded, leaving him blinking blearily under the Gate of the Sun again.
"What happened?" Waymar asked urgently, hand shifting slightly closer to the pommel of his sword. Thankfully he and Tyene seems to be the only ones who realized anything was amiss.
"The wards did not know what to make of me," Garin replied, not aloud but by shadow carried whisper. "Odd that they would object now and not the last time we entered the palace." Perhaps the Fiend-Binder had lulled them to slumber somehow, or else the emperor had taken the chance to awaken more of the palace's defenses in the wake of his near assassination. Regardless, Garin sighed in relief once he was well past the bright mica-encrusted stone of the gate.
***
No sooner had they set foot upon the gravel paths of the palace proper that a young woman garbed in intricate robes of vivid yellow silk and a peach blossom bound in her hair approached them, along with a small cortege of officials in slightly more restrained attire keeping a somewhat uncomfortable distance. The eunuchs were less skilled than than guards at keeping their emotions off their faces, and it soon transpired why. Mei Lin had sent one of her own attendants to guide them through the palace. An unusual, though not wholly unheard of, step that left the officials who were supposed to greet them feeling quite superfluous.
It was a poor day to be feeling useless among the eunuchs of the Azure Palace after all the heads that had rolled in the last few days, Garin thought, though his sympathy was soon thoroughly tempered when the officials began asking questions. The first one was to inquire if they had bathed today, and the tone did not get much better from then on.
Tyene simply ignored any question that implied they were barely house-broken grunting barbarians and answered the rest. The fact that the officials seemed to be flustered that a woman was doing most of the talking was all the better as far as Garin was concerned.
"Your pardons, honorable ones," the young attendant whispered, practically wincing at the instructions to not spit in the emperor's presence. "I suspect they have found a list of how to deal with the envoys of the Horse People, the Jogos Nhai, and made use of that." Then to Garin's surprise she raised her voice to slightly above the droning eunuchs and began motioning to the gardens and buildings around them.
Since court protocol apparently dictated that she not be interrupted, the journey became much more bearable afterwards, as well as being informative.
Among the histories of the palace, some interwoven with tales of intrigue and romance so old they were almost myth, one stood out in particular to Garin "...The Palace of the Last Breath is the home of Imperial Princes who have retired from a life of experiential service. Those who are honored to stay here are offered one of the highest honors in the land, the Feast of the Last Breath, where they may ask the Son of Heaven for almost any favor. This has only been denied four times in the history of the Empire when it would have lead to war..."
"So anything short of causing war is acceptable?" Garin asked, startled.
"Should they ask for anything particularly spiteful or cruel their families suffer much dishonor," their guide replied. She pointedly did not say they never did so, Garin noted.
After what felt like five miles of walking along the twisting graveled paths they came at last before a set of great doors three times a man's height sheathed in beaten gold and covered in the forms of coiled dragons. As they came close the dragons shifted, allowing the doors to part. There was no magic here, however, only the faint sound of shifting gears clear in Garin's ear.
The emperor looked a great deal more imperial here upon his throne backed in blue silk and dragons with sapphire eyes than last they had laid eyes upon him, though this was clearly not his main audience chamber. The room was small enough that the various officials, nobles, scribes, and priests were a touch crowded... and thankfully there was only enough room for one of the eunuchs who were supposed to have 'guided' them to enter. Looking more closely at the throne Garin realized it was meant to be carried, though it had been slotted neatly into the joined wooden. A War Throne moved here to keep the audience relatively restrained in scope, though perhaps also a subtle sign that Bu Gai was feeling rather belligerent after almost being killed by a traitor in his own palace.
Just like Waymar and Tyene, Garin bowed in the most elaborate Volantene manner as agreed upon when last they spoke, obviously a foreign custom but one that would be at last recognized
"Approach and speak, envoys of the Archon of the West," Bu Gai called, cutting off faint whispers that rose from the ranks of his court.
And so the mummery began in earnest. Thank the gods the curtains had not caught fire before the show, Garin thought irreverently as Tyene answered with practiced grace.
OOC: Cutting off here to keep it to a reasonable length.
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@DragonParadox, do they see any magic items on the guards or the emperor?
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
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- Waxahachie tx
Oh, this will certainly be interesting
- Location
- Germany
Not bad.
Not quite appropriate, but at least it correctly implies our rule over everything west of Quarth, from their perspective.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Draconomicon: Dragon (wyrmling) familiars: see here.
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- United States
That title is eventually going to shift, no doubt. Dragon of the West is simply too perfect for DP not to use at some point.
The court is unusually dense with minor auras, more than they can count, the man with the look of a sage standing not far from the throne has a couple of moderate strength auras on him as to several of the guards in attendance. The Emperor himself has no auras... which probably means they are hidden.
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- United States
He's rocking a Mind Blank, then. And he's got a proper court mage, which hopefully means they recognize the full worth of our gifts of Valyrian Steel weapons.
- Location
- Germany
All the same type, or mixed?
If it's all Abjuration the might have figured out that mass-PfE trick we are working on.
Mixed, though abjuration is definitely predominant.
- Location
- Germany
Or just Greater Magic Aura to hide his auras.
- Location
- Mexico
Yes, because that has been our only interaction with them, if we see any Marids on our plane, specially anywhere near Valyria we have to assume they work for/with the Lannisters.
The same way that if your village has been attacked by werezebras and you hear hoofbeats you don't think "ah, it's probably just horses this time".
So yeah, think fucking ice.
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tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
That's just racist, sure we should be wary of people we don't know, but we shouldn't be more wary of Marids than other similarly powerful people, just because a few Marids have worked for the Lannisters.
- Location
- United States
@DragonParadox, has Siduri been able to piece together the firepower we're about to go up against?
Unfortunately not, she decided to come to Viserys as soon as she realized they were in Valyria.
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- United States
That's a shame, but I have to agree with that choice. We can't lose out on any time right now.
- Location
- Mexico
I think my hoofbeats analogy was great and I stand by it.
So, sorry to discriminate against horses, but those werezebras did a number on us, and it's going to take 2-3 perfectly innocent herds of horses before we can trust hoofbeats again.
If they don't like it, they can complain to the Marids that took the Lannisters offer and make sure it never happens again.
- Location
- United States
I just hope we haven't scared the Marids off of Prime Material. I'm hoping there are plenty among the Lannisters for us to kill. We don't need it at this point, but damn if it won't be satisfying to loot their corpses.
- Location
- Germany
Honestly, we have indirect contacts with the Marids already, Relath was trading with them.
If we want anything, just get a report from him.
If we want anything, just get a report from him.
Vote closed.
tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
No the Marids didn't do a number on us, they were a very minor nuisance, they cast all of one Limited wish that we no-sold painlessly, and then they were more or less irrelevant, we aren't traumatized about Marids, so it's more like distrusting hearing horses, because a single werezebra broke a few bones of someone in your village.
They have worked with the Lannisters in other places, but that limited wish is the sum total of what they have done to us.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
My issue with the Marids is that they are Chaotic douchebags. If they were reliable mercs, that would be one thing, they were just doing their job, but from what I recall, they aren't trustworthy. You can buy their services, then they might turn around and sell you out to your enemy.
There's a reason the Marids are the only genie race that doesn't have an organized civilization.
There's a reason the Marids are the only genie race that doesn't have an organized civilization.
- Location
- Germany
They have.
At least they have a city comparable to those of the Djinn and Sheitan.