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

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Artemis1992 said:
That would explain his reaction.
A Pathfinder-style Church of Asmodeus would have been the better move in the long term, even if not as profitable as a total victory over the Material might be.
But then he'd never get that latter, even if we failed there are too many forces in the multiverse interested in making sure that Asmodeus does not hold the keystone of all in his hands.
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In regular D&D settings maybe, but here Asmodeus seems to be winning super hard. Missteps aplenty, but strategically he's in the lead of everyone except maybe the Void, who doesn't need to worry about managing their resources for all we know. Their main limitation, the Void that is, seems to be power throughput. Whatever binds them forces them to act through the Others primarily, and the Others are too intertwined with the Old Gods, which form the axis of Summer to their Winter, to act out of turn.

Asmodeus, for all the fact that his resources are seemingly "limitless", needs to shape the forces of "free will" on the Material enough that they will tend to rely on him as those inhabiting Heaven rely on his enforcers to instill order and keep the Daemons and Illithids out.
MTB said:
Thx.
Btw., where is our red dragon orb currently, and is it the only one?
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In the cloak, unknown.
 
Artemis1992 said:
A Pathfinder-style Church of Asmodeus would have been the better move in the long term, even if not as profitable as a total victory over the Material might be.
But then he'd never get that latter, even if we failed there are too many forces in the multiverse interested in making sure that Asmodeus does not hold the keystone of all in his hands.
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... when we talk about long-term games, the 'the god is influenced by its worshippers' - does that hold true for A.?
//
Risk with multiple players is a fun game.
 
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Crake said:
In regular D&D settings maybe, but here Asmodeus seems to be winning super hard. Missteps aplenty, but strategically he's in the lead of everyone except maybe the Void, who doesn't need to worry about managing their resources for all we know. Their main limitation, the Void that is, seems to be power throughput. Whatever binds them forces them to act through the Others primarily, and the Others are too intertwined with the Old Gods, which form the axis of Summer to their Winter, to act out of turn.

Asmodeus, for all the fact that his resources are seemingly "limitless", needs to shape the forces of "free will" on the Material enough that they will tend to rely on him as those inhabiting Heaven rely on his enforcers to instill order and keep the Daemons and Illithids out.
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His real problem is that every time he wins he weakens the fabric of reality and unlike his competitors in the rest of Evil, he needs that intact. So if he goes for the win he makes it very easy for others to force him to lose.
MTB said:
... when we talk about long-term games, the 'the god is influenced by its worshippers' - does that hold true for A.?
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Gods can stave that off through sacrifice and Asmodeus owns Hell, so no.
 
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065tdsa said:
His real problem is that every time he wins he weakens the fabric of reality and unlike his competitors in the rest of Evil, he needs that intact. So if he goes for the win he makes it very easy for others to force him to lose.
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Depends on his goal. If we take the whole "remake reality in his image " thing literally, he might need it to break in the right way rather than hold together completely.
 
MTB said:
... when we talk about long-term games, the 'the god is influenced by its worshippers' - does that hold true for A.?
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No.
He is an Archdevil, in fact the Archdevil, before any divine power comes into play.
I wouldn't be surprised if he had written the parts of himself he cares about as universal facts into the Pact Primevalis so they can't be changed.
 
BronzeTongue said:
Depends on his goal. If we take the whole "remake reality in his image " thing literally, he might need it to break in the right way rather than hold together completely.
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True, but that's his problem: his goal is to break it in just the right way, but everyone else who benefits from his plays has simpler goals like "just breaking it and who cares about the shape so long as it's not Asmodeus'". CE, NE, Far Realm and Void just have much easier win conditions.
 
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This line of discussion makes me paranoid and depressed.

Carry on, hopefully ya'll think up something useful.
[:V]
 
Winning vote
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Nov 17, 2019 at 1:42 PM, finished with 75 posts and 11 votes.
  • [X] "Viserys Got A New Vassal! Part CDXXVII"
    -[X] There's no real way to tell if the terseness of the letter was owed more to nervousness for the meeting or some lingering resentment, if not of you personally then at least the idea of more uncanny things visiting upon his fiefdom that he has no real way to make heads or tales of. Try to set the Lord at ease, though quickly abandon the notion of it's obvious that something weighs heavily on his mind.
    -[X] The idea would be to address the root cause of any lingering discontent, so you will bring up the matter of Harroway's Town if it seems prudent and even go so far as to mention you heard an unfortunate rumor about a possible murder, and given how you were involved in the matter you can understand it is hard not to be wary when a King's whim lets fly an arrow which from a Lord's eye might sprout into a seed of chaos.
    -[X] No less than events spiraling out of control from one thread severed, allowing the matter of Harroway to fester without a deft hand and actual understanding of inhuman minds would be a greater folly. That is why you have designed Councils in your realm to contain, among other skilled experts, an accredited mage who has spent time studying all manner of intelligent creatures not of human conjuring or imagination.
    -[X] How indeed can a Lord make an informed decision when they've only the time in the world to balance responsibilities like honing oneself for war, directing resources towards the prosperity of their subjects and managing relations with their neighbors? The most talented might do so with aplomb but it is only a failing if they choose to ignore or spite timely assistance made available specifically to ease the burden of lack of hours in the day.
    -[X] Finally, the Seven Kingdoms have long fallen past the state where a steady hand was at the tiller, as the sailor's adage goes. More than conquest or riches plumbed from the depths of ancient ruins you have spent multiple years piloting many people through tumultuous changes all while balancing your hobby of running around the world and slaying monsters. The results speak for themselves.
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Part MMMCLXXIX: A Visit Long Expected
  • Threadmarks
    • A Visit Long Expected ​

    Twentieth Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Though there is no way to tell if the terseness is owed to nervousness or lingering resentment you are cautiously optimistic about the meeting. According to Septon Martyn his liege lord bears no ill will to those who merely wield magic, though he might have some about more 'unchancy' beings like the fey. If it is only a lack of knowledge he has, that you can remedy and indeed intend to since you have been spreading such lore even to those who did not ask. Had he read the parchments your agents and messengers had been scattering all over the Seven Kingdoms? you wonder.

    As you enter the keep you weave a spell of finding, careful that neither word or gesture might reveal it. There, three hardened parchments. You feel the pull of the magic coming from above, whether a library or private solar you cannot say. Lord Roote had chose to see you in a room on the lower level of the keep, one that might be called a 'study' by virtue of being small and for for private conversation, though the walls are not filled with books or even shelves, but countless glassy-eyed trophies. Boar and deer, wolf and bear, but holding a place of pride in the collection is something far more uncommon in these lands, a mammoth skull, its long curved tusks still arching upwards from the table at the far end of the room. From the yellowing of the bone it looks to be more than thirty years old, though less than half a century. Not the current lord's prize then, unless he was leading expeditions beyond the Wall in leading strings.

    Before you can ponder the matter further the lord of the keep enters the room with a determined tread and a clink of steel. He is mostly garbed in a colorful gambeson, though the pauldrons of his armor are still attached. He had obviously been in the training yard, though just as obviously he could have asked for a meeting giving himself plenty of time to change fully out of his armor. It, like the room you are in, is meant to carry a message, one of strength unless you are much mistaken. An understandable enough reaction given how you had dented the House's prestige.


    "Good day, Your Grace." A stiff bow. "Ser Knight..." A nod of the head. "My Lady...." there is almost a stutter to his words, a hesitation you had not heard before as he catches sight of her. Whatever the cause, he recovers quickly. "I would ask to what do I owe the honor of your company now, but first I would ask of your reasons for being in my lands seven months past. I have heard all manner of tales about it, but I would not put my full faith in rumor and hearsay of smallfolk."

    Well that answers the question of whether he still harbors some resentment over the matter. "My lord, I too have heard tales as you said. I understand it is hard not to be wary when it seems a king's whim lets fly an arrow which from a lord's eye might sprout into a seed of chaos. Yet I assure you it was no mere whim that drove me then as it is now. To have allowed events to spiral onward without taking a hand in it would have risked conflict with those whose motives and logic does not align with that of humankind. That is why in my realm I have designated councils that contain, among other skilled experts, an accredited mage who has spent time studying all manner of intelligent creatures not of human conjuring or imagination."

    "Fairly said," the lord nods, then with a bluntness you are beginning to suspect is a character trait and no more ploy, he asks with his mustache bristles slightly. "Why then did you not come before me then to speak of these matters and left my House standing in the center of a tangle of rumors for the Lannisters to yowl and hiss about like barnyard cats clawing for an advantage?"

    The comparison, sincere as it is unflattering of House Lannister, draws a genuine smile from you. Still, the question deserves an answer.

    What do you reply?

    [] You did not wish to make it seem as though you were trying to buy service for a pledge

    [] You did not wish to call down Baratheon or, being frank, Lannister reprisals upon Harroway when your own plans for the Seven Kingdoms were so unripe

    [] Write in

    OOC: Lord Chester does not have an actual sword with him like in the picture, that would have been a bit much even for him.
     
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    • DragonParadox said:
    [] You did not wish to call down Baratheon, or being frank Lannister reprisals upon Harroway when your won plans for the Seven Kingdoms were so unripe
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    So I'm thinking we say this. Maybe pair it with an explanation on divination so it becomes clear to him that not meeting us and not knowing did in fact protect him where he otherwise may have been in danger.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    OOC: Lord Chester does not have an actual sword with him like in the picture, that would have been a bit much even for him. Not yet edited.
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    He looks fantastic even so.

    DragonParadox said:
    [] You did not wish to make it seem as though you were trying to buy service for a pledge
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    Surely we do this all the time yes?

    Viserys: "Yes. But honestly, upfront, and without doing a kindness unasked and then demanding a reward for it afterward."
     
    A Visit Long Expected ​

    Twentieth Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Although there is no way to tell if the terseness is owed to nervousness or lingering resentment, you are cautiously optimistic about the meeting. From septon Martyn's explanation, his liege lord bears no ill will to those who merely wield magic, though he might have some for more 'unchancy' beings like the fey. If it is only a matter of knowledge he lacks, that you can remedy and indeed intend to. You have been spreading such lore even to those who did not ask, after all. Has he read the parchments your agents and messengers have been scattering all over the Seven Kingdoms, you wonder.

    As you enter the keep, you weave a spell of finding, careful that neither word or gesture might reveal it. There are three hardened parchments. You feel the pull of the magic coming from above, whether a library or private solar, you cannot say. Lord Roote had chosen to see you in a room on the lower level of the keep, one that might be called a 'study' by virtue of being small and suitable for private conversation, though the walls are not filled with books or even shelves, but countless glassy-eyed trophies, boar and deer, wolf and bear. Holding pride of place in the collection, however, is something far more uncommon in these lands, a mammoth skull, its long curved tusks still arching upwards from the table at the far end of the room. From the yellowing of the bone it looks to be more than thirty years old, though less than half a century. Not the current lord's prize then, unless he was leading expeditions north of the Wall in leading strings.

    Before you can ponder the matter further, the lord of the keep enters the room with a determined tread and a clink of steel. He is mostly garbed in a colorful gambeson, though the pauldrons of his armor are still attached. He had obviously been in the training yard, though just as obviously he could have asked for a meeting giving himself plenty of time to change fully out of his armor. This, like the room in which you meet, is meant to carry a message, one of strength, unless you are much mistaken. An understandable enough reaction given how you had dented the House's prestige.


    "Good day, Your Grace." A stiff bow. "Ser Knight..." A nod of the head. "My Lady...." there is almost a stutter to his words, a hesitation you had not heard before as he catches sight of her. Whatever the cause, he recovers quickly. "I would ask to what do I owe the honor of your company now, but first I would ask of your reasons for being in my lands seven months past. I have heard all manner of tales about it, but I would not put my full faith in rumor and hearsay of smallfolk."

    Well that answers the question of whether he still harbors some resentment over the matter. "My lord, I too have heard tales, as you say. I understand it is hard not to be wary when it seems a King's whim lets fly an arrow which from a Lord's eye might sprout into a seed of chaos. Yet I assure you, it was no mere whim that drove me then as now. To have allowed events to spiral onward without taking a hand in them would have risked conflict with those whose motives and logic does not align with that of humankind. That is why in my realm I have designated Councils that contain, among other skilled experts, an accredited mage who has spent time studying all manner of intelligent creatures not of human conjuring or imagination."

    "Fairly said," the lord nods, then with a bluntness you are beginning to suspect is a character trait and no more ploy, he asks, "Why then did you not come before me then to speak of these matters rather than leave my House standing in the center of a tangle of rumors for the Lannisters to yowl and hiss about like barnyard cats clawing for advantage?" His mustache bristles slightly as his indignation becomes apparent.

    The comparison, sincere as it is unflattering of House Lannister, draws a genuine smile from you. Still, the question deserves an answer.

    What do you reply?

    [] You did not wish to make it seem as though you were trying to buy service for a pledge

    [] You did not wish to call down Baratheon, or being frank, Lannister reprisals upon Harroway when your own plans for the Seven Kingdoms were yet unripe

    [] Write in

    OOC: Lord Chester does not have an actual sword with him like in the picture, that would have been a bit much even for him. Not yet edited.
    Here's an edited version of the chapter, @DragonParadox.
     
    [X] "With hindsight looking back upon events then as to now, circumstances have changed. Thus, the answer is manifold, as the situation in Westeros is ever-shifting, some by my own acts and that of others."
    -[X] "Then on the one hand, most of what could have been said of me and my actions were at the time colored by Lannister slander, and to be perfectly frank my Lord, ignorance. Let, for example, me point to the steps I have taken to correct both."
    -[X] "Spreading knowledge to Lords through indirect means. Offering counsel to those who might inform their fellows more disinclined to be seen as gossiping. Or else showing in word and deed the justness and rationality of my rule, that I am not the beast in human skin the Butcher or the Usurper make of me."
    -[X] "This isn't work complete in mere months, but something I will carry around my neck like a lodestone for years, yet it was necessary that I show the people that I do not solely come to Westeros to wreak bloody vengeance for slights done to me and mine, but to set right the stones set tumbling by careless hands, by the Lannisters lack of care when handing out their magic for boons and pledges of absolute submission rather than allegiance, or else Baratheon letting the resentment of his vassals drive them to make unchancy bargains while unprepared for the toll to be taken. To say nothing of genuine pleas for aid by those famed for their pride."
    -[X] "Now however? I feel like I have made my point, that I do not have to give careless insult to those who can look upon me with eyes unclouded. And, I would add, are there truly worse things for one who wields power and authority to exercise caution when the cloud of suspicion in the Riverlands is so thick that some might accuse Hoster Tully of having no more influence farther than he can throw a stone from Riverrun's walls? Or else the Usurper would have paid the matter of the Point, his own supposed vassals, more mind until the day I came to drive off the horrors plaguing them? They asked for his intercession first, and they were laughed at and scorned." You shake your head in genuine confusion at the folly. A prickly Pointman actually going so far for their people, and that was the response?
    -[X] Wearily: "The Lannisters and Robert Baratheon have proven strong only in spite. Yet it is not I who has to pay the price if people fly the dragon banner when I have yet to plant my standard here, but leal vassals who I owe my protection, for all that another man sits upon the Iron Throne. If I could resolve things without bloodshed, I would, yet if I must go to war I hope to ensure there is no great panic, but an orderly turning of the wheel. Not the transitioning from one short-lived reign of a tired and miserable warlord to the next."
     
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    [X] Crake

    Angelazreal1 said:
    Not vote related, but do all of our Westerosi lords know about plan to redivide Westeros?
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    Haha, nope. It's gonna be a great surprise after we consolidate our power and rule throughout Westeros. No good could come of sharing that information early.

    We'll be making a lot of people very happy, and a very small handful, basically most of the Lords Paramount, a good deal less so, and they're the ones who could muck up stuff leading up to the reconquest.
     
    Goldfish said:
    [X] Crake


    Haha, nope. It's gonna be a great surprise after we consolidate our power and rule throughout Westeros. No good could come of sharing that information early.

    We'll be making a lot of people very happy, and a very small handful, basically most of the Lords Paramount, a good deal less so, and they're the ones who could muck up stuff leading up to the reconquest.
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    Some have an idea.
    I think Bolton, maybe Frey?
    The ones we promised something by these measures.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Yes, but it's probably not wise to say bluntly, the relationship between liege and vassal is reciprocal yes, but it is not a trade.
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    Basically, you do your solid. If they fail to do theirs, they lose face. You actually gain face if you keep doing your duty in defiance of all the fools and idiots in your wake.
     
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