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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:
I have no problems with short interrupts, like those missions that consist of maybe one update reconaissance and one fight or report on said fight.

It's just the longer arcs like Slaver's Bay that should be kept seperate in my opinion.
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My complaints about interlude interrupts are mostly restricted to intense battles. It's terrible for the pacing and atmosphere to put an interlude in the middle of those. One minute you're reading about battle with some arch-fiend, and the next, oh look, here we are in Braavos seeing what the Silver Eye is up to. I guess an intense investigation like hunting down a clever devil would also qualify for this.

I don't really care beyond that.
 
egoo said:
--[] Teana Strykos - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM,
--[] Ferrengo Antarion - 2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 2 Black Champions - 5,360 IM each, 1 Necro-Craken (in a bag) - 4,880 IM.
--[] Alinor the Fair - 2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 2 Black Champions - 5,360 IM each
--[] Hario of Tyrosh - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM
--[] Salladhor Saan - 2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM, 1 Necro-Craken (in a bag) - 4,880 IM.
--[] Sir Gerold - 2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 2 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 2 Black Champions - 5,360 IM each, 1 Necro-Craken (in a bag) - 4,880 IM,
--[] Alysande Redsail - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM
--[] Hermetia Aerebalys - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion,
--[] Aemon Naremos - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM
--[] Vargor Alexi - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM.
--[] Doran - 2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM.
--[] Yohn - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM.
--[] Monford - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM.
--[] Rodrick "the Reader" - 3 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM each, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM, 3 Black Champions - 5,360 IM each, 1 Necro-Craken (in a bag) - 4,880 IM.
--[] Rhaella - 1 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD), 1,200 IM, 1 Black Champion - 5,360 IM, 1 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (w/+8 Racial HD) (CR 10, 14 HD) - 4,800 IM.

Total: 22 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats (26,400 IM), 15 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy (72,000 IM), 19 Black Champions (101,840 IM), 4 Necro-Crakens (in bags) - 19,520 IM.
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I added a new tab to my "Defense Efforts"-plan for the next month.
@Duesal, is this good enough replacement for Erynies?

@Azel, @Goldfish, my thought process was:
"Cats for detection and alerting necroguards, Black Champions for meatshield-duty, Bag-of-tentacles for pure fun when facing Illithids or the like, Snapdragon-Leshys for decent spellcaster support).
Any additions?
For the while we don't have Watchman Creatures, nor the ethically-available Seekers, I don't think we can replace the goodness that Erynies are in Bodyguard-duty?

For reference, here's the semi-final numbers for most basic defenses to make next month. Not even dedicated armies, just locational stuff.
egoo said:
Total numbers:
427 Black Knights, 490 IM each -- 209,230 IM.
520 Black Knights (mobility upgrade), 560 IM each -- 291,200 IM.
88 Black Champions, 5,360 IM each -- 471,680 IM.
955 Spitter Swarms, 60 IM each -- 57,300 IM.
196 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cats, 1,200 IM each -- 232,800 IM.
224 Verdant Wolves, 1,200 IM each -- 268,800 IM.
76 Advanced Druid Lotus Leshy, 2,400 IM each -- 182, 400 IM.
38 Druid Creature Treants, 4,800 IM each -- 144,400 IM.
580 Verdant Kingfishers, 300 IM each -- 174,000 IM.
58 Verdant Ravens [Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Raven (w/+4 Racial HD)] (CR 6, 6 HD) - 1,200 IM each, (69,600 IM total).
134 Advanced Sorcerer Creature Snapdragon Leshy, 4,800 IM each - 643,200 IM.
5 Necro-Craken -- 24,400 IM.
50 Spitter Swarms (Aquatic) - 60 IM each, -- 3,000 IM.
25 Advanced Druid Creature Seaweed Leshy (CR 6, 4 HD) - 1,200 IM each -- 30,000 IM.
5 Advanced Plant-Imbued Sea Drake (CR 10, 7 HD) - 4,800 IM each -- 24,000 IM.
10 Kelp Golems (Reskinned Aquatic Pumpkin Golem) (CR 8, 8 HD) - 2,400 IM each -- 24,000 IM.

Total Price: 2,850,010 IM.
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I dislike the idea of spreading undead around like that. Not only is it bad PR, they're just far less useful servants overall, without initiative and with little resistance to being suborned.
They also smell, and risk going on rampages if things go totally south.

Using undead as shock troops is very different from asking our vassals to keep them around the house.
 
Winning vote

[] Admit your involvement and your reasons
-[] We wanted people in general to be prepared for these threats the lore is about. It saves time and effort if we don't have to travel across half the world to eliminate problems like the Golden Company befor they can reach our realm. The knowledge helps most people and only harms our foes, so we spread it.
-[] Pol Ning in particular was in just the right position. We could give her the lore, she would be a trusted source for it to the Orange Emperor and we wouldn't have to be personally involved and thus sour other relations in these lands.
-[] That she profited from it was good for her, and a minor advantage for us, as it would put someone who believes in our good intentions and has proof of our prior honesty in form of this lore, in a better position at her brother's court.
 
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Part MMMCCCLXII: When Lies Crumble
  • Threadmarks
    • When Lies Crumble ​

    Fifteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    Thankfully you had not been wholly unprepared for such a question, a lie forged in haste cannot be assumed to stand the test of time, particularly when dealing with sorcery and spirits unlike those of your own realm. Thus you explain your involvement, not fully of course, only as much as Ning herself knew, Corlys Waters a man of many and varied talents often found where peril is thickest and discretion advised.

    "We wished for Trader Town to be prepared against the storm to come," the expression is a touch clumsy in the tongue of the Golden Empire, but you would rather not name Pol Quo by his title unless your hand is forced. Calling Lady Xue's lord usurper and blasphemer, which is what any title other than Emperor would be in her eyes is unlikely to endear you to her.

    From the tipping of her head and the slight thinning of her lips it is clear the shugenja understands the implication, but she does not challenge it directly. "Why did you choose the princess then?" she asks instead. "Would it not have been wiser to call upon the kami to share this knowledge than trust it to a girl not even..."

    Dany clears her throat, all nine years of her garbed in enchanted armor and warded in a battle mage's spells. It's a good thing you long since learned to keep inappropriate amusement off your face or you would be snickering at the reaction. "We are not in the habit of asking gods to play messenger," she says sweetly.

    "She was in the right place at the right time," you pick up the thread of conversation smoothly. "A trusted source for her brother and we would not be unduly involved while delivering warnings against dangers near and far. That she profited from the exchange was also to our advantage in some small way. It placed one convinced of my good intentions in a position to have her counsel heard and heeded. "

    A long moment passes with no sound but for the whisper of the wind outside the tent then the crimson clad voice of the kami speaks in a carefully even tone. "For the warning given you have the gratitude of the Son of Heaven and for the death of his foes you have a warrior's respect, but in this last matter of which you spoke the winds of fortune did not turn as you had hoped."

    "You know that the meeting was an enemy's plot?" Tyene asks with carefully veiled surprise. "Our divinations make it clear that no treachery was plotted, merely a ruse to weaken Trader Town as the Golden Company fell upon it."

    "I do and the Son of Heavens also, but for all his love of his sister he knows also that if he had been aware of her true sources a better path would have been revealed beneath our feet, seeking alliance or at least cooperation where instead I was concerned with picking part the lie of her supposed 'blessing'." A flash of anger passes though Xue's dark gaze, gone so swiftly that you could almost have imagined it, if you had not also noticed how the flame in the brazier behind the sorceress twisted towards her. "She has lied before the Throne and all the wisdom shared nothing but the echo of another's voice. For that she will be sent away, a marriage alliance, though it has not yet been decided where."

    The pregnant pause is obviously meant to give you the chance to take on the princess whom you had in Lady Xue's eyes at least helped disgrace, but you have no intention of allying yourself with Pol Quo on such grounds. Still you could use a mage of he talents, or as seems likely given the loyalty of her faction at court, several, if you can gain their aid without political complications .

    "Perhaps suggest a realm that is not formally under your rule now, like Dorne,"     Tyene offers silently, her mind voice faintly amused. "Quentyn would wed her and be glad of it I think, the boy would wed a camel if uncle Doran called for it in a stern enough tone."

    What do you do?

    [] Let the matter drop, move on to Xue's offer to capture fleeeing Golden Company notables
    -[] Write in who you are most interested in

    [] Offer a suggestion for Pol An Ning's fate
    -[] Write in

    [] Write in

    OOC: So yeah, it turns out blasphemy in the form convincing the kami to lie to the Emperor (not that the kami themselves see Pol Quo that way, they see the Mandate as hanging in the balance) carries hefty consequences. Not yet edited.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • TalonofAnathrax said:
    I dislike the idea of spreading undead around like that. Not only is it bad PR, they're just far less useful servants overall, without initiative and with little resistance to being suborned.
    They also smell, and risk going on rampages if things go totally south.

    Using undead as shock troops is very different from asking our vassals to keep them around the house.
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    I agree with this.

    Though it does mean we should double down on Watchmen creature research.
     
    Fuck you, Yi-Ti.
    "Blasphemy" they say. Bah!
    :anger:

    Yeah, all right, I have no interest in dealing with Orange and his people when they can't turn a blind eye to a gift of lore.

    TalonofAnathrax said:
    I dislike the idea of spreading undead around like that. Not only is it bad PR, they're just far less useful servants overall, without initiative and with little resistance to being suborned.
    They also smell, and risk going on rampages if things go totally south.

    Using undead as shock troops is very different from asking our vassals to keep them around the house.
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    To be fair, the Qyburn's creations are really more of a "NE-powered Constructs", rather than the regular variety of the undead.

    They are disposable, far more so than anything else we can grow in the forge.
    Being mindless, we actually can assign meatshield-duty to them without moral problems.

    iirc, we just don't have better choices to provide meatshield-effects to our infrastructure and people of importance.
    We need something mindless, grown in great numbers for cheap, and effective at doing things all the while.
    Soulforged Undead fit perfectly well.
     
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    Crake said:
    @Goldfish ...any way we can get a Disguise Undead on all those bodyguards? Otherwise they are going to STINK.
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    That's what the embalming fluids are for? I mean, they won't exactly smell of roses, but not of rotten meat either. They are not hobo-zombies.
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    I dislike the idea of spreading undead around like that. Not only is it bad PR, they're just far less useful servants overall, without initiative and with little resistance to being suborned.
    They also smell, and risk going on rampages if things go totally south.

    Using undead as shock troops is very different from asking our vassals to keep them around the house.
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    I'm not entirely sure why you are now inventing arguments. They are incredibly hard to suborn (that's one very large part of the point of their template), don't rampage willy-nilly at the drop of a hat (that's the other big part), and I have literally no idea why you are claiming they would stink.


    I for one am all in favor of using Undead as guards.
     
    I have an absolutely foolproof plan : Do absolutely nothing. This isn't our problem.

    Still, that feels rather rude, as we did use her like a tool and inadvertently wreck her life even more.
    Alternative suggestions :
    • Impulsively kill Pol Quo, this woman, and all the other traitors. Have Balerion bring their heads back to the other Emperor (Balerion the cat, not Balerion the Dragon).
      • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this :D
    • Act annoyed. This is how they accept help? They can fight their own Dark Gods next time, and hunt for their own Lore.
    • Kidnap Pol an Ning like we kidnapped Valaena, but with even less warning to her family.
      • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this.
    • Straight-up use Pol an Ning as our "secret" liaison to their court. Give her a way of contacting us (maybe not a Brazier though) and tell them to keep her around as an emergency help button in case more Evil-in-a-can happens.
      • This isn't an offer of alliance, but any diplomatic communications are better than none, and she must surely know this.
      • I honestly think that the general could be a better choice of Emperor than the kid, especially in the current multipocalypse situation. Allying with him now is inconvenient, but some closer contact in the medium term is absolutely fine.
     
    I am halfway to the point I'd go "fuck this" and vote to grab and diplomance Pol Ning into going to our realm, ditching the tradition-fueled bullshit of Yi-Ti.
    We could use a Shugenja teacher, if nothing else.

    Or we could overgear her, and have her do the "the travelling halper" all around Yi-Ti, all the while keeping our nose in the matters of supernatural there.
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    I have an absolutely foolproof plan : Do absolutely nothing. This isn't our problem.

    Still, that feels rather rude, as we did use her like a tool and inadvertently wreck her life even more.
    Alternative suggestions :
    • Impulsively kill Pol Quo, this woman, and all the other traitors. Have Balerion bring their heads back to the other Emperor (Balerion the cat, not Balerion the Dragon).
      • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this :D
    • Act annoyed. This is how they accept help? They can fight their own Dark Gods next time, and hunt for their own Lore.
    • Kidnap Pol an Ning like we kidnapped Valaena, but with even less warning to her family.
      • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this.
    • Straight-up use Pol an Ning as our "secret" liaison to their court. Give her a way of contacting us (maybe not a Brazier though) and tell them to keep her around as an emergency help button in case more Evil-in-a-can happens.
      • This isn't an offer of alliance, but any diplomatic communications are better than none, and she must surely know this.
      • I honestly think that the general could be a better choice of Emperor than the kid, especially in the current multipocalypse situation. Allying with him now is inconvenient, but some closer contact in the medium term is absolutely fine.
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    Nice to see some analyses of the politics and options to quickly. I was worried this might not be engaging.
     
    egoo said:
    I added a new tab to my "Defense Efforts"-plan for the next month.
    @Duesal, is this good enough replacement for Erynies?

    @Azel, @Goldfish, my thought process was:
    "Cats for detection and alerting necroguards, Black Champions for meatshield-duty, Bag-of-tentacles for pure fun when facing Illithids or the like, Snapdragon-Leshys for decent spellcaster support).
    Any additions?
    For the while we don't have Watchman Creatures, nor the ethically-available Seekers, I don't think we can replace the goodness that Erynies are in Bodyguard-duty?

    For reference, here's the semi-final numbers for most basic defenses to make next month. Not even dedicated armies, just locational stuff.
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    I don't mind assigning Black Champions as supplementary guards. Like @Azel said, these aren't rotting corpses, and their fullplate armor makes it easy to hide their appearance.
     
    Azel said:
    I'm not entirely sure why you are now inventing arguments. They are incredibly hard to suborn (that's one very large part of the point of their template), don't rampage willy-nilly at the drop of a hat (that's the other big part), and I have literally no idea why you are claiming they would stink.


    I for one am all in favor of using Undead as guards.
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    I don't have all the details of their Template in mind right now, so I won't dive into the many ways of controlling or avoiding undead that 3.5 is full of. I'd appreciate a link to the Template, if I'm wrong about this.

    These undead don't rampage at the drop of a hat, but they're still undead. When a worst-case scenario happens (their creator dies, someone tries to mess with their heads and fails in an unlucky way, their control system is interfered with, etc), their basic programming isn't "be a sentient being who is confused" it's "KILL KILL KILL".
    That's bad. It's like having a cunningly bound Devil or Demon: clever in the short run, but it'll last forever and will eventually turn on you horribly. And we can't recruit and manage these undead with we do our Devils, because they're not sentient.

    As for the smell... Look, embalming fluids exist, but anyone who has done dissections will tell you that corpses always smell. A genuinely odourless corpse doesn't exist, especially if it spends its time outside of a hermetically sealed area with all pests kept out.

    It's also a terrible PR move regarding our vassals like Monford and whatnot, and that's my main concern. The previous points are honestly all nitpicks compared to that.
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    Impulsively kill Pol Quo, this woman, and all the other traitors. Have Balerion bring their heads back to the other Emperor (Balerion the cat, not Balerion the Dragon).
    • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this :D
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    Viserys: "I solved all your problems!"


    TalonofAnathrax said:
    Act annoyed. This is how they accept help? They can fight their own Dark Gods next time, and hunt for their own Lore.
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    Viserys: "I solved all your problems, and this is the thanks I get?"


    TalonofAnathrax said:
    Kidnap Pol an Ning like we kidnapped Valaena, but with even less warning to her family.
    • Act shocked when Pol an Ning doesn't appreciate this.
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    "I solved all your problems and I didn't even start any fires!"


    TalonofAnathrax said:
    traight-up use Pol an Ning as our "secret" liaison to their court. Give her a way of contacting us (maybe not a Brazier though) and tell them to keep her around as an emergency help button in case more Evil-in-a-can happens.
    • This isn't an offer of alliance, but any diplomatic communications are better than none, and she must surely know this.
    • I honestly think that the general could be a better choice of Emperor than the kid, especially in the current multipocalypse situation. Allying with him now is inconvenient, but some closer contact in the medium term is absolutely fine.
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    "I have altered the deal. Pray I do not alter it any further."

    [X] Shrug at Lady Xue. Then go directly to Pol Ning and offer her a place in your court, where she will be appreciated and honored, rather than cut down socially for the sake of political expedience.
     
    Correct me if I'm remembering this wrong, but wasn't Pol Ning being actively blocked from seeing her brother by Lady Xue's machinations? Or even getting a message to him?
     
    Goldfish said:
    I don't mind assigning Black Champions as supplementary guards. Like @Azel said, these aren't rotting corpses, and their fullplate armor makes it easy to hide their appearance.
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    So we'll be lying to our vassals about what we're asking them to keep in their castles, following them around as bodyguards?
    These are super creepy too, so they definitely will be asking themselves questions.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Correct me if I'm remembering this wrong, but wasn't Pol Ning being actively blocked from seeing her brother by Lady Xue's machinations? Or even getting a message to him?
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    IIRC getting all that Lore and money temporarily solved that.

    Crake said:
    [X] Shrug at Lady Xue. Then go directly to Pol Ning and offer her a place in your court, where she will be appreciated and honored, rather than cut down socially for the sake of political expedience.
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    Pol Ning has family and friends here, and is loyal to this Emperor. I don't expect her to want to abandon her life here if there's any other option.
     
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