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

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We did good work on Stannis. It was an effort years in the making, from the time we captured him when the Westerosi royal fleet was sent to attack Sorcerer's Deep, all the way up to the day he swore himself into our service. It's amazing what simple respect, an understanding of an individual's personality, and copious social magic can accomplish.
 
It was a lot more than that too, though, it was also tirelessly striving to fulfill all obligations without exception, something we did because it was always within our power to do so, but with that expectation that nothing is out of our reach so we have no excuse if we fail to meet our end of things.

Because no one else displayed anything even resembling willingness and at times even capability to fulfill the feudal contract.

It then becomes painfully clear that not giving us fealty would in itself be a dereliction to your own vassals.

Because there are really no better options than us, and the options that do present themselves aren't just "somewhat inferior" on any qualitative scale, they tend towards having a negative impact on everyone.

Viserys' greatest strength throughout the whole quest has been his given word. Because he never deliberately goes back on it, because he tries to fulfill every promise he makes, and promptly at that, and because he finds the problems that exist and then doesn't just talk a big game about doing something about it "so long as you continue to do everything I say".

Rather than try to coerce people into obeying him, dangling their prize just out of reach, Viserys gives people exactly what they need, sometimes before they even realize they need it, thus putting the onus on that person to either clearly show, in no uncertain terms, that they are ungrateful and thus transparently not worth our time, or otherwise they will have to work hard to not feel indebted to us indefinitely.

It's not even necessarily our greatest strength being our reputation--it hasn't always been, that's for certain. It's just that we now have a reputation for never breaking our word. So when we say we'll do something, you can't try to pull out the argument of some kind of a fallacy to other participants that we will fail to do so, are lying, or any other number of things, which is partly why we came away from our first meeting with Paxter Redwyne with a positive impression despite only just having met him.

Because by that point, the hardest angle to take against Viserys is trying to diminish his credibility, not when Viserys can point out straight away that no one else has actually measured up to their words yet except for him.
 
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Hmhmhm.
Done:
[] Spy-Ring by Azure's court.
[] Main camp of GC
-[] Lots of non-mage stragglers, but that's Orange's problem.
[] Shadow Fortress
-[] Chances are, there was some stuff secreted away, but we were on a timer because of the ffffucking Sarnori.
[] (by-and-large) the Risen Nine
[] The red dragons (2/3).

Not done:
[] The sorcerer Red Dragon.
-[] Not a guaranteed scry-on through WoE.
[] The Shadow Dragon Warlock.
-[] In an unknown Mindblanked cave.
--[] We have his blood though, enough for 1 scry-on for when he leaves it.
[] a Nightmare Dragon escape.
-[] No idea where.
[] One of the captains of the Risen Nine.
-[] Is still away and under Mindblank, iirc?
[] Minor GC agents and spies.
-[] Are subject to elimination once F!Aebooklet is read through and the rest of commanders are questioned.

Does that sound about right?
I think we are all but done, the Reds seem to be the last thing to touch on.


Where next, everyone?
Stannis, Dornish ball, or Subjugating meeting with leaders of Lorath?
 
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egoo said:
Hmhmhm.
Done:
[] Spy-Ring by Azure's court.
[] Main camp of GC
-[] Lots of non-mage stragglers, but that's Orange's problem.
[] Shadow Fortress
-[] Chances are, there was some stuff secreted away, but we were on a timer because of the ffffucking Sarnori.
[] (by-and-large) the Risen Nine
[] The red dragons (2/3).

Not done:
[] The sorcerer Red Dragon.
-[] Not a guaranteed scry-on through WoE.
[] The Shadow Dragon Warlock.
-[] In an unknown Mindblanked cave.
--[] We have his blood though, enough for 1 scry-on for when he leaves it.
[] a Nightmare Dragon escape.
-[] No idea where.
[] One of the captains of the Risen Nine.
-[] Is still away and under Mindblank, iirc?
[] Minor GC agents and spies.
-[] Are subject to elimination once F!Aebooklet is read through and the rest of commanders are questioned.

Does that sound about right?
I think we are all but done, the Reds seem to be the last thing to touch on.


Where next, everyone?
Stannis, Dornish ball, or Subjugating meeting with leaders of Lorath?
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The last of the Nine is not Mind Blanked, IIRC.

I prefer to call our new tome the Book of Aegon.

Bringing Lorath into the Imperium should be relatively simple. It would be a good loose end to handle before focusing elsewhere.
 
egoo said:
[] One of the captains of the Risen Nine.
-[] Is still away and under Mindblank, iirc?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
He's, as far as we know, not Mindblanked.

But he's something ghost-like, so he might not be manifest on this plane while we are looking for him.
As we heard he wasn't even deliberatly raised, just kinda appeared one day when the other 8 where together. Theory is that the narrative weight of 8 undead Nine pulled him back by accident.

Maybe now that the group is broken up again he'll even move on from this existance by himself. Optimistic, but not impossible.
 
As a vengeful spirit, or at least one with a desire that dragged it back to reality, if it does not find something to latch onto, it will be hard for it to stick around. Consequently, because it has a goal, it will more than likely act on it if no obstacles present themselves to them in the meantime.
 
Crake said:
Consequently, because it has a goal, it will more than likely act on it if no obstacles present themselves to them in the meantime.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

And that problem poses itself as an irritated 10ft tall Red Wyrm with his posse of Underlings.

I say running away is imperative if the bastard doesn't want to achieve a second demise.
 
Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Mar 2, 2020 at 6:06 AM, finished with 61 posts and 13 votes.
  • [X] Deal with the final member of the Aegon's inner circle. Have Red Rolly broken out of the block of Amber within the Snare (to ensure he won't run away), stripped of all items, and detained in bottle/amber again afterwards.
    [X] Take some time to place Rest Eternal on bodies of Jon Connington and Ashara Dayne (DC 34 to Resurrect, can't break the curse without access to the body).
    [X] Start on Resurrecting Liomond and his followers.
    -[X] Have Qyburn thoroughly examine some of them beforehand, preferably those okay with staying Undead for a short while longer. We'll compensate them appropriately for this testing-session later.
    [X] Prepare to scry on the last remaining Red Dragon brought into this world by Tiamat - use the power within the Well of Souls as a foci to target her.
    -[X] She'll be given one chance to surrender to us, forswear Tiamat and live under our law - with sufficient benefits appropriate to that.
    --[X] If she does not, the power granted by Tiamat will have to be harvested in short order. The Ferrymen may as well take it for cleansing the armor of Tiamat's Champion.
Click to expand...
 
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Part MMMCCCLXX: Of Tarnished Knights and Honest Hirelings
  • Threadmarks
    • Of Tarnished Knights and Honest Hirelings ​

    Sixteenth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    For all Red Roly was made a knight by Aegon's hand he is 'a man of his own hands', as the saying goes in Braavos, a craftsman at his trade before he is a warrior seeking glory. Perhaps if you had met him under any other circumstances he too could have been an ally or at least not a foe. You had taken Bronn under your banners and the man came to your shores besides a monster bearing kegs of wildfire after all, but as with 'Old Griff' and with Ashara reading the man's mind convinces you that you cannot afford to let him walk. "Ashara saved his soul once, not just his life, his soul from a rakshasa lord," you explain softly. "The same one who bore the blade he is carrying now."

    "How?" Dany's tone is somber but she is curious too. Anything you can discover about your enemies alive or dead can be of use.

    "He walked a dangerous path between the temptation of Tiamat and the oaths of chivalry. Some would say he held to the latter exemplary." You cannot quite keep a grimace off your face as you say it though.

    "Some?" Ser Richard asks.

    "Arthur Dayne perhaps, that is what Ashara told him at least and I think she believed it even, that oaths of fealty were more important than those of protection. He knew of Varys' plan to betray Tiamat, so did she. I suspect that is what allowed them to sleep at night after all they had seen their lord and master do."

    "They were lovers?" Tyene guesses shrewdly. At Lya's surprised look she shrugs. "Dornish remember, I don't care how much of a pretty picture the Daynes make playing knight and lady fair, or in Ashara's case both, they don't trust trust their darkest secrets lightly and if you are going to trust someone that far, and if they're pretty enough to look at, you might as well get some... exercise out of the deal."

    "After the maharaja was slain, yes," you explain. "It would have made a decent ballad I suppose, better than the insipid nonsense that so often crosses a bard's lips about ladies sighing mournfully and looking on into the distance while their suitors are away in battle."

    "You might have a bit of a peculiar perspective on that," Lya smiles fondly at you.

    "Not round here it isn't," Waymar counters. "I think all fell halfway in love on the battlefield."

    "You can't fall halfway..." Tyene trails off, catching Waymar's smile. She gives him a stern look instead. "Are you tying the Common Tongue into knots just to tease me, or do you have some courtly gesture you are itching to announce?"

    Waymar only shakes his head and smiles.

    Ser Richard clears his throat and turns to you before the conversation can meander any further afield. "So, about that shadow spirit and his sword, did they kill him properly or is he still around and likely to look for it?"

    "He has fallen a rung in the hierarchy of the City of Blood, but he will seek out the sword." Dark Fire sputters angrily in your hand, almost seeming to coil upon itself, the better to burn the hand that wields it. It is only an illusion, at least so long as one's will does not waver in the bearing it. The hilt is old, older than the Shadow and its twisted ruler, the marks upon it of sanctity and protection, gleaming back as though a willful mockery in the oily light of the blade. "This is not a thing lightly lost."

    Gained Defiler of Eternities
    Description: Dark Fire sputters angrily in the hand, almost seeming to coil upon itself, the better to burn the hand that wields it. It is only an illusion, at least so long as one's will does not waver in the bearing it. The hilt is old, older than the Shadow and its twisted ruler, the marks upon it of sanctity and protection, gleaming back as though a willful mockery in the oily light of the blade.

    Abilities:
    1. +3 Vorpal Sword
    2. Can negate an ability that would force the bearer to re-roll and attack that originates from magic less than Wish and Miracle as a free action When this ability is used the sword's bearer must make a DC 25 Will Save Against suffering 3d4 Wisdom drain as the sword's baleful history forces itself upon their mind.
    3. Immunity from moral based or luck based maluses
    Armor: +5 Dread Wing, Heavy Fortification Plate

    The knight's armor by contrast is both more commonplace and thankfully more wholesome in forging, a thing conceived to grant him the power of flight and to ward against cunning blows and artful feints. He could have done better with something to guard against sorcery.

    "Think either of them would serve old Liomond Lashare well?" Dany asks, reaching out towards the sword with abstract interest. She could not bear something like this of course, though you have little doubt that she could resist its power.

    "I think we should know the man better before we pledge any artifacts to his service."

    ***​

    Liomond Lashare, newly raised from death by the highest sorcery, has the look of a man who would rather be drinking in a tavern than kneeling before a throne, which you suppose says good things about his mental fortitude. Most people upon being returned to life after years as a walking corpse would be overwhelmed by the sensations, not looking forward to more of them. "Your Grace, will you be wanting my oath in my own name or shall I take another? I'll admit I have some fondness for Liomond, but I can leave or take the other as it suits you."

    What do you reply?

    [] Publicly admit Liomond's indemnity, tales of his exploits have only grown since the War of the Ninepenny Kings and being seen embracing one who was once an enemy of your House might incline others to swear to you rather than clinging to a losing hand

    [] Ask him to take a new name, you could do without the questions as to how and why he came into your service

    OOC: I thought I could do the whole vote but then I realized I really do need an answer here one way or another. The Lord of Battles has something of a reputation to him.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Publicly admit Liomond's indemnity, tales of his exploits have only grown since the War of the Ninepenny Kings and being seen embracing one who was once and enemy of your House might incline others to swear to you rather than clinging to a losing hand.
     
    [X] Publicly admit Liomond's indemnity, tales of his exploits have only grown since the War of the Ninepenny Kings and being seen embracing one who was once and enemy of your House might incline others to swear to you rather than clinging to a losing hand.
     
    Well, this thing I definitely want forged into the Dark Sister as a part of the upgrade.
    Pre-Long Night Legend and protective runes?
    Sold.

    Aah, what was it... The soul-reaping Scythe, the...
    Hm.
    I can't actually remember if we had anything else laid away from the armory-pile aside from the Scythe, into the [Upgrade the Dark Sister with this, later]-pile.
    :/
    @Duesal?

    [X] Crake
     
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