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

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I'm not quite getting the issue with Blood Crystals. Do they have to be fed with blood? Are they alive? Do they attack people to get at their blood? Or do accidents just happen more aften around them?
 
UmeII said:
I'm not quite getting the issue with Blood Crystals. Do they have to be fed with blood? Are they alive? Do they attack people to get at their blood? Or do accidents just happen more aften around them?
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They are dangerous to grow because if you cut yourself one one they will drain your blood (Doing Con damage not HP). Even the crystal dust is detrimental to health on a more long term basis.
 
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Interlude DCXLIX: Grim Tales
  • Threadmarks
    • Grim Tales ​

    Twenty Second Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Ceria Storm looked down at the corpse of the Hag of Pinkspring more with pity than anger, one all but her closest companions would likely be surprised to see in her eyes as they had mere hours ago shone with all the fury of Duran and the power of Elenei as she smote the hag upon the stones of Pinkspring where it had come in false guise to feed. Such a simple tale and pleasant in the telling. "There but for the grace of... well not gods, fate perhaps go I," the sorceress said barely above a whisper, but she knew full well that the one standing behind her could hear even that.

    "You do not truly believe that," Ting replied simply. Upon the lips of almost any other the words might have sounded dismissive or worse lecturing, driving Ceria to lash out, but from him it was a helping hand clear as day. From experience Ceria knew she could take the help and shake off the grim thoughts or stew in them a few hours more and her friend would not resent her for it either way.

    "What's the difference then? That I would have been too clever to take the fey lord's 'gift' unlike Anora here?" she shook her head ruefully. "I've done my share of stupid things, thankfully most of them before I could reshape the world with a word, but if he'd offered me power not love, if he'd offered me glory and greatness..."

    "You would have turned back the poisoned goblet just the same I think," the monk replied. "Of an age you both might be, both unknown granddaughters of great lords, but that is all that joins you. She wished to walk the path denied, to be a lady beloved of her lord and her people, yes? A child with a child's dreams prayed on by a monster."

    "And made a monster in turn," Denys looked up from where he was sorting through the vials and herbs they had taken from the hag's lair. He had been the one arguing the loudest that they should seek to undo the hag-woman's curse as soon as they started getting hints of it, but he had changed his tune after they had spoken to Anora's aunt and young cousins. An uncle and two cousins made first lovers and then meals in the midst of moon-madness. Ceria fought back a shudder. There were some things you did not come back from. Death had likely been a kindness to whatever had been left of the woman's mind.

    "She claimed she did not remember the... feeding," Thoros interjected as he carefully wrapped the roughly-sewn cloak of seemingly uncured leather sackcloth and a few stout knots before placing it in a cold iron chest alongside the black 'iron' claws that had detached from the hag upon her death.

    "Yes, she claimed... long and hard with all sorts of arguments, like someone who had done it before," Ceria replied darkly. "Maybe the curse kept her from remembering the deed itself, but how many times do you have to wake up covered in blood next to the butchered corpse of your latest lover before figuring out that you might have something to do with it? As long as Anora found the plan to love her true what matter was the trail of corpses to her?" The sorceress shook her head in disgust, her sympathy was for the girl who had walked into the woods a year ago, not the thing she had become, whether her guise was fair or foul.

    "No one gives a shit about the ones that fail in a fairy tale," Criston interjected. "Good thing we don't actually live in one."

    "Do you think what that shifty bugger said about the fairies in the Reach was true? That they are trying to make the whole world like that?" Crowfood Umber asked unexpectedly. Ceria had not even realized he'd been listening when the shadow lord of the Orphne had shared that bit of news. There was a lesson in that, don't underestimate bold old warriors, they had to have more than luck to have gotten grey in their beards.

    "Aye, I think so," Denys replied. "No reason for an inquisitor to lie to us about it after all." He paused a moment, looking between the body on the floor caught halfway between beautiful maiden and horrid hag. "I don't know about you, but I've got a powerful urge to keep that from happening."

    All of them agreed without a moment's hesitation.

    OOC: Well I did not get any Golden Company ideas, so here's the resolution to the Hagswood. The investigation worked well and other than Denys getting a bit low on HP from being squishy so did the battle that followed. Thanks again to @Artemis1992 for stating out the cursed hag.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Staff Notice - Calm down
    Yessss.
    Feel the hate, young minions.
    Feed of it.

    Purge the Fey, kill the Devil!

    MAIM KILL BURN MAIM KILL BURN
    :mob::mob::mob:

    ah, feels great to see more staunch supporters of Anti-Fey movement growing in power.
    [:V]

    So, @DragonParadox, it was just one Hag then?
    Surprising, really.
    Flavor almost made one think the woods were far, far worse encounters-wise.

    I'm glad that one is off the list for the next month.

    Hm.
    @Goldfish, what levels are Misfits, again?
    I'm thinking dropping them off at Slavers' Bay should be helpful enough to help Malarys in containin it
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    Grim Tales ​

    Twenty Second Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC

    Ceria Storm looked down at the corpse of the Hag of Pinkspring, more with pity than anger, one all but her closest companions would likely be surprised to see in eyes that had mere hours ago shone with all the fury of Duran and the power of Elenei as she smote the hag upon the stones of Pinkspring, where it had come in false guise to feed. Such a simple tale and pleasant in the telling. "There but for the grace of... well not gods, Fate perhaps, go I," the sorceress said barely above a whisper, but she knew full well that the one standing behind her could hear even that.

    "You do not truly believe that," Ting replied simply. The words might have sounded dismissive, or worse lecturing, from the lips of almost any other, driving Ceria to lash out, but from him it was a helping hand clear as day. From experience, Ceria knew she could take the help and shake off the grim thoughts or stew in them a few hours more and her friend would not resent her for it either way.

    "What's the difference then? That I would have been too clever to take the fey lord's 'gift', unlike Anora here?" she shook her head ruefully. "I've done my share of stupid things, thankfully most of them before I could reshape the world with a word, but if he'd offered me power not love, if he'd offered me glory and greatness..."

    "You would have turned back the poisoned goblet just the same, I think," the monk replied. "Of an age you both might be, both unknown granddaughters of great lords, but that is all that joins you. She wished to walk the path denied, to be a lady beloved of her lord and her people, yes? A child with a child's dreams, preyed upon by a monster."

    "And made a monster in turn," Denys looked up from where he was sorting though the vials and herbs they had taken from the hag's lair. He had been the one arguing the loudest that they should seek to undo the hag-woman's curse as soon as they started getting hints of it, but he had changed his tune after they had spoken to Anora's aunt and young cousins. An uncle and two cousins made first lovers, and then meals in the midst of moon-madness. Ceria fought back a shudder. There were some things you did not come back from. Death had likely been a kindness to whatever had been left of the woman's mind.

    "She claimed she did not remember the... feeding," Thoros interjected as he carefully wrapped the roughly-sewn cloak of seemingly uncured leather sackcloth in a few stout knots before placing it in a cold iron chest alongside the black 'iron' claws that had detached from the hag upon her death.

    "Yes, she claimed... long and hard with all sorts of arguments, like someone who had done it before," Ceria replied darkly. "Maybe the curse kept her from remembering the deed itself, but how many times do you have to wake up covered in blood next to the butchered corpse of your latest lover to figure out that you might have something to do with it? As long as Anora found the man to love her true, what matter the trail of corpses to her?" The sorceress shook her head in disgust, her sympathy was for the girl who had walked into the woods a year ago, not the thing she had become, whether her guise was fair or foul.

    "No one gives a shit about the ones that fail in a fairy tale," Criston interjected. "Good thing we don't actually live in one."

    "Do you think what that shifty bugger said about the fairies in the Reach was true? That they are trying to make the whole world like that?" Crowfood Umber asked unexpectedly. Ceria had not even realized he'd been listening when the shadow lord of the Orphne had shared that bit of news. There was a lesson in that, don't underestimate bold old warriors, they had to have more than luck to have gotten grey in their beards.

    "Aye, I think so," Denys replied. "No reason for an inquisitor to lie to us about it, after all." He paused a moment, looking between the body on the floor, caught halfway between beautiful maiden and horrid hag. "I don't know about you, but I've got a powerful urge to keep that from happening."

    All of them agreed without a moment's hesitation.

    OOC: Well I did not get any Golden Company ideas, so here's the resolution to the Hagswood. The investigation worked well and other than Denys getting a bit low on HP from being squishy so did the battle that followed. Not yet edited. Thanks again to @Artemis1992 for stating out the cursed hag.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    Can you link us to the previous interlude associated with this one? I need a memory refresher.
     
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    egoo said:
    Hm.
    @Goldfish, what levels are Misfits, again?
    I'm thinking dropping them off at Slavers' Bay should be helpful enough to help Malarys in containin it
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    They're all level 9. Very well geared level 9, but still level 9. They would be valuable assistants, but don't have enough oomph to make up for the need for higher power aid.
     
    egoo said:
    So, @DragonParadox, it was just one Hag then?
    Surprising, really.
    Flavor almost made one think the woods were far, far worse encounters-wise.

    I'm glad that one is off the list for the next month.
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    It was several hags but most of then were both older and less powerful than Anora with her curse.

    Goldfish said:
    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    Can you link us to the previous interlude associated with this one? I need a memory refresher.
    Click to expand...
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    There isn't one. I did not feel like I could afford a multi-interlude series with this one
     
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    Goldfish said:
    They're all level 9. Very well geared level 9, but still level 9. They would be valuable assistants, but don't have enough oomph to make up for the need for higher power aid.
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    I'm not expecting anything more than that from them, really.

    We'll have to take care of Asmodeus and Harpies there after the Timmie, hands-on.
    Until then, containment it is.


    Problem with planning our next month, I really am not sure if the simultaneous attack on Golden Company would be counted as a "Free" action for the lot our characters, or a full-month endeavor.

    Too little info so far.

    And then its deciding which tasks would be too sensitive to leave even for a day (Asmy, any ongoing dungeon-delve, etc) too.
    :/
     
    We need a few more votes, ya'll.
    Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on Nov 24, 2019 at 12:10 PM, finished with 26 posts and 9 votes.
    • [X] Find and speak to the fey first to get their side of the story
      -[X] See if there's any local fey court to address, any form of higher authority at all, and if so go treat with them
      --[X] If yes, find one of their subjects first and get an idea of the court's composition and nature, if they bear grudges against mortals or not, the disposition of their leader, etc
      --[X] If no, use a combination of divinations and searching to track down one of the fey that's been involved in the pranks on Lychester lands
      -[X] Learn why the Lychester lands have been targeted, what significance if any the hill and/or the blood crystals have for them
      -[X] Take the opportunity to learn about any nearby courts and various pacts that they're aware of if possible
    Click to expand...
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Yes and magical hazmat at that, since the dust eats though most mundane fabrics
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    Well, if lord Lychester is capable of:
    1. Actually getting consent from people to work instead of making them do it
    2. Providing standard health care
    3. Making sure this stuff can't pollute the lands

    Then theoretically he can do it. I wouldn't mind giving him the resources to get things up to code if it puts him heavily in our debt and makes him increasingly more reliant on us.

    Though I am very annoyed at this Shaitan noble for trying to skirt around both our governments for his radioactive crystals.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Yes and magical hazmat at that, since the dust eats though most mundane fabrics
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    Unless it eat though said fabrics very fast you don't need magical hazmat, unless you can make magical Hazmat very cheaply, it's likely to be cheaper to replace the Hazmat clothes regularly.

    Depending on how quickly it kill and how much growing the crystals earn you, there's of course also the option of only hiring old people, who get paid by way of getting a reincarnate, once the work kill them.
     
    Duesal said:
    Well, if lord Lychester is capable of:
    1. Actually getting consent from people to work instead of making them do it
    2. Providing standard health care
    3. Making sure this stuff can't pollute the lands

    Then theoretically he can do it. I wouldn't mind giving him the resources to get things up to code if it puts him heavily in our debt and makes him increasingly more reliant on us.

    Though I am very annoyed at this Shaitan noble for trying to skirt around both our governments for his radioactive crystals.
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    Seeing as they are paid well enough to keep his secret he certainly has their consent in working on the crystals.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Seeing as they are paid well enough to keep his secret he certainly has their consent in working on the crystals.
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    Then that's one problem down. He just needs to make sure there's adequate health care and containment, and then he needs to agree to do this sort of thing officially in the future instead of this shady shit.

    Also I'd like to know what the Shaitan noble wants these crystals for. I'm increasingly suspicious this is illegal in the Opaline Vault.

    Is there anyone we have quick access to IC to get the answer OOC?

    EDIT: Wait a minute. Are we sure it was a Shaitan noble at all, and not an enemy in disguise? A Westerosi lord wouldn't be hard to fool.
     
    Duesal said:
    Then that's one problem down. He just needs to make sure there's adequate health care and containment, and then he needs to agree to do this sort of thing officially in the future instead of this shady shit.

    Also I'd like to know what the Shaitan noble wants these crystals for. I'm increasingly suspicious this is illegal in the Opaline Vault.

    Is there anyone we have quick access to IC to get the answer OOC?

    EDIT: Wait a minute. Are we sure it was a Shaitan noble at all, and not an enemy in disguise? A Westerosi lord wouldn't be hard to fool.
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    They are not illegal as far as Viserys knows and the reason the noble wanted them is likely that they are valuable as weapon materials
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    They are not illegal as far as Viserys knows and the reason the noble wanted them is that they are valuable as weapon materials
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    Okay, that's another concern taken care of.

    All in all it'll be pretty easy to get Lord Lychester in our debt and on our side.

    EDIT: Of course there is the whole fey problem that needs to be taken care of.
     
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