Interlude in beta.
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
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Interlude DCLXVIII: A Tale of Ash and Blood Part One
A Tale of Ash and Blood Part One
Eighteenth Day of the Eleventh Month 293 AC
Enchanted Outfitters, Bazaar of a Thousand Sins, City of Brass
"My order are known as Abjurers, it was we who raised the walls of the city in elder days of imperishable gold and after the Day of Betrayal we reforged them in brass," Silas recounted. "But what is less well known of us is our skill at divination, for it is a poor ward that does not know the foe and a poor watchman who trusts the eyes of flesh alone."
A twinge of pain passes over the mage's features, but he continues speaking in the same even voice. "So it was that I bought a tablet from a hag who knew not its worth nor its great age and was selling it for only the common silver upon which it had been inscribed. Thus did I seek answers high and low, I questioned the metal even, but it knew only that a mortal hand had inscribed it, I sought out the shelves of the Repository, but there I found only splinters of answers, texts written in tongues akin to the one I sought only as much as the writing of the efreeti has with that of the djinn. It spoke of a passage and a pact, though more I could not read for the meaning of the text seemed to willfully veil itself from me"
The mage went on to explain how finding himself unable to answer the riddle of the silver tablet any further he laid it aside for seven times seven years to pursue other matters, but when this span of time had passed he found in his sanctum a strange being such as he had never seen before even in the City of Brass, where the caravans of a thousand species spill their treasures and their secrets. The would-be thief was a creature of ash, cinder and sorrow, not mighty but cunning and careful, and by these things well served. Almost it stole the tablet to carry it back unseen, only to be ensnared at the last moment not by a trap but by the sight of one of Slias' mosaics that changed with the passing of the sky-fire in the Lost Garden of the Elements, so overcome was it by the sight that the mage found it keening its sorrow like the wind howling through an empty hearth, and through it all only two words were clearly heard: "...home...lost..."
Seeing that nothing he would do could ever make the thief any more miserable than it already found itself to be the sorcerer came upon it in curious guise and proposed a bargain, he would aid the spirit in finding its home or avenge it should it be lost forever and in exchange the ash-spirit would renounce all claim upon the tablet and share its history with it. The mage's wisdom proved itself that day for both the service he had promised and the one he had asked for were in the service of his goal.
Deep beneath the City of Brass, in places older even than the dominion of the efreeti, there stood a gate of rough stone embedded in a wall of strangely lifelike figures, as though the lair of a serpent-haired medusa, but no spark of life could be found in these figures, nor were they as unchanging as the untrained eye could see. By his vision that read the past as much as the present the sorcerer learned that the figures changed slowly through the ages, seeking to tell a tale of war and treachery, of peace and pacts, but he could not read the whole of it for the figures were sunk into the stone as bodies half-covered in swift flowing lava and no chisel or spell he possessed could break it. However, at the advice of the spirit that brought him there, he cast with ritual and offering of blood a spell of far-speech.
"There my part in the tale ends by right and hers begins," Silas nodded at the girl, Ashia.
"I was born in the lands of the Falcon Clan where the Warding Woods meet the Grey Sands," the girl began, obviously expecting this. "My kindred have been traders for as long as the tales of the elders stretched, not like the over-proud Snow Tiger or the savage Wolverine who mark their faces in blood. We traded in peace with the Zorse Riders and the men of Nefer, even with caravans of K'Dath so long as they come with us under the light of the sun.... "
OOC: I decided to break this here both because of the PoV shift, but also because her part includes practically the entire background for Mossovy and that is likely to be over a thousand words on its own. It will also include a map of the country with cities and fortresses added so you guys have a reference.
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Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Pointless until we get an answer, and an answer which is likely to make him raise several points or questions we also have to answer in turn.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Wait... The naming convention is readable in Russian... Is that-
Yep, it is.
(Zola = "newly-burnt ash" in Russian)
So, Slavic Fey in Mossovy, huh?
It would be a very neat change of pace, if nothing else.
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- Location
- Germany
Homebrew I think.
This is Pathfinder Baba Yaga:
Baba Yaga - Mythic Monsters - Archives of Nethys: Pathfinder RPG Database
Around campfires and in front of hearths on cold winter nights, wise grandmothers and favored uncles recite countless tales of a stern and powerful woman. Some know her as the Old Crone, others as Old Knobby Legs. She’s often called the Queen of the Witches, but those who are wise call her Dear...
www.aonprd.com
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Ah, my bad, I did not notice the "community creations" when searching up for stuff.
Damn.
And I got a bit excited, too :/
This is out of our range for a while.
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Baba Yaga is the foundation for much of the hag archetype in D&D I'd say. The 'terrible old woman in the woods' that probably evolved from pre-Christian slavic myths.
Awww poor little guy. Feel sorry for the little thing.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
@DragonParadox What is known of Mossovy, at least in Westeros. I'm not sure if we've collected any further lore across our travels that would make it likely that we'd know more about the place than the Citadel or not, but you might be able to elaborate on how knowledgeable about the area we actually are.
Also the known geographic information that I'm assuming you're working off of for your own mapping?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I love learning more of the secret history of the world(s), @DragonParadox, so this interlude was very much appreciated. The world building really makes me want to dig in and unearth ancient lore and hidden knowledge.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Just to add to the kinds of threats that are likely to appear in Mossovy, it seems probable that a lot of the common slavic myths, I guess reflected in this case by a particular virulent Hag infestation, "demon hunters" is just as like to be slang for a group or just cultural commonality in the region for people who hunt a specific type of gribbly. In fact they might not hunt actual Abyssal influence at all but instead are hunting Deep One agents or aberrant spawn/experiments, since they're so close to Aboleth territory.
The Maesters of the Citadel have some pretty profound knowledge and even some decent insights, but their proximity to the Faith and labeling of things as "demons" even having no idea of the exact accuracy of the statement casts most of their writings on the world in general into serious doubt. That or their actually useful writings are hidden away, it seems likely to be the case honestly. Acolytes and people outside certain factions only have access to the "public" books. And most Lords have no clue the Citadel hordes real knowledge and lore and only releases bullshit.
The Maesters of the Citadel have some pretty profound knowledge and even some decent insights, but their proximity to the Faith and labeling of things as "demons" even having no idea of the exact accuracy of the statement casts most of their writings on the world in general into serious doubt. That or their actually useful writings are hidden away, it seems likely to be the case honestly. Acolytes and people outside certain factions only have access to the "public" books. And most Lords have no clue the Citadel hordes real knowledge and lore and only releases bullshit.
Well obviously there are lycanthrope there too. The Demon Hunters probably hunt those atleast as well as anything else. So local Umbral crafting supply?
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Yeah. Though there could be non-hostile communities.
Other than that sounds like a ideal place to conquer.
Even better. Recruitment potential. Didnt we have the idea for Werebear Legionaires in the early parts of the quest? Or heck just check around for burial practices among the lycanthropes. But really the place should have some interesting stuff.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Define "early". It was discussed about a year ago... in a quest that has been going strong since the middle of 2016.
Eh, when we met the Bear. That's early...comparatively.
But seriously the place has been mentioned to once have weird trees right? Or close by to the place with it. And with that island formation. Place might just have a Baltic sea type amber deposit situation.
Say what does Weirwood Amber do? Would it be a good Druid focus?
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- Location
- United States
Everything about a Weirwood is inherently magical and is a nice ritual component. The trick is harvesting it in a way that don't piss off the crotchety old men in the trees. Best to just have a Leshy or Treant help out there.
A Weirwood Amber would probably make a good focus for a druid, especially if mounted atop a Weirwood Staff or something.
The Old Gods know where any is? I mean its amber, that stuff forms over a long time. We wont be making any with the same properties as the natural stuff. But we do know Weirwoods 'bleed'. I mean there are a lot of mentions of the sap from the leaking off heart tree faces like tears to drinking the stuff having magic ptmroperties.
There should honestly be natural amber from the trees near millenia old sites. The Isle of faces should be littered with the stuff.
- Location
- United States
I think we can skip the waiting part thanks to magic. If we want amber the Old Gods would probably be happy to just make some for us.
Eh...history, natural process...better than 'artifical'...natural properties hur de dur. You know how magic is about this sympathetic stuff. I figure itd just make a nice background fluff for some Druid equipment for the huge number of Leshy weve been making.
Besides amber from a species of tree that's spread over a continent and has known to survive for centuries should not be that impossible to fine natural deposits of.
I mean between the Treants, Lotus and Seaweek Leshy I think we have nearly a thousand of them. Might as well give them some basic equipment. Druid staves with a amber focus or something.
Standardize it more than that eagles feather gathered in the first day of spring worked into a naturally fallen branch along with a aged wolf's last tooth kinda equipment shenanigans and hoopla. Weirewook quarterstaff with a Weirwood amber pommel. Nice and simple. The first the same as the 982nd.
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- Location
- United States
It might be more appealing story-wise, but this isn't true in terms of mechanics. The only place this would have relevance is if you're trying to make a mythic artifact or something, in which case you'd probably want to go for the oldest and rarest reagents.
In the numbers you seem to be aiming for I'm not sure. The Old Gods have lost a lot of memory of their old groves, so it might take a bit of work to actually find them.
You know between The Thousand Isles and Mosovy how are we even gonna handle that level of enemy influence in a location literally on the other end of the known world? I mean we cant just port over burn them all and leave the people can we?
But how would we even add those places to an empire that disconnected. Wed need to integrate it to the empire proper. Mass shipping landes? Bend our teleportation circles and gates policy a bit and set up an Arc from Sorcerors Deep to a new foundling city in some island between the Isles and Mossovy?
Could be nice. Nice a eastern annex of Sorcerors Deep. The city that literally spreads from one edge of the known world to the other.
Fair enough. A minor action to ser if its feasible to find a few deposits with a couple thousand pieces total to act as Druid foci and failing that just going for tha manufacture option?
But how would we even add those places to an empire that disconnected. Wed need to integrate it to the empire proper. Mass shipping landes? Bend our teleportation circles and gates policy a bit and set up an Arc from Sorcerors Deep to a new foundling city in some island between the Isles and Mossovy?
Could be nice. Nice a eastern annex of Sorcerors Deep. The city that literally spreads from one edge of the known world to the other.
Fair enough. A minor action to ser if its feasible to find a few deposits with a couple thousand pieces total to act as Druid foci and failing that just going for tha manufacture option?
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- Location
- United States
Put out the fires at home first, build up our powerbase, conquer Slaver's Bay and kick out Asmodeus, conquer Westeros, and conquer the other Free Cities. We should actually be making good progress on Lorath, I wouldn't be surprised if they voluntarily bent the knee. Norvos is more stubborn. Qohor will likely need to be conquered, and if we're lucky we can fight Children of the Black Goat. Those things are so cool.