Remove ads

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

Reader mode
Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Mar 17, 2020 at 3:10 PM, finished with 29 posts and 14 votes.
  • [X] Take a deep breath, the tell mostly just to make it clear you are trying not to blow a gasket at either woman. You are really not pleased by people dropping familial drama on your lap during official negotiations, nor someone clumsily wording a request for a bribe to a King who's reputation is basically sterling as far as keeping promises goes.
    -[X] "Picture this. You have a responsibility to look to the prosperity of your lands, but in addition to that your own vassals. Just as I do. To obtain more, for the rights to the passage for... for what? Gold? No, I imagine not." She can't say anything to that, at this point it would be admitting she would sink that low, when you have made it clear through your explanations already that trade would flow, and thus gold would follow. It would be a loss of face to admit she expects a bribe now before a King.
    -[X] "To show your rights have been upheld? No, after all, no Lord or Lady of Dorne would have the gall to have dealings with the bloodthirsty exile Viserys Targaryen." You don't roll your eyes, but it's a close thing. Signing over the passage would have no legal basis until your reconquest of Westeros, and if you are forming the legal basis for House Toland's possession of the passage, you could just as well sign into law that they were property of the state as they have no proof that Toland toil went into creating them other than archaeological evidence that you could easily erase.
    -[X] "What do you have to gain by playing these games, my Lady? If you speak honestly with me, I might be able to assist you."
    [X] Offer her 5,000 IM for her to sign over the full rights to the passage to you.
    -[X] Reply to her daughter: "But I assume you would? If you wish to impress me, I will gladly talk to you when this is done."
Click to expand...
 
Well, I might have been exposed to Covid-19, y'all. The wife of a co-worker has been tested after displaying symptoms, but we won't know if she's infected until results come back on Thursday. If she is, there is little chance that her husband hasn't also been infected and spreading it around the office since at least yesterday, but possibly as far back as late last week.

/fingers crossed
 
Yeah, my supervisor went on a cruise and got an email about not coming back into work for the entire incubation period, and it's a similar story for anyone else in the company who was even briefly out of the country.

Eventually the government is going to get a clue that having necessary IT infrastructure for hospitals completely gutted by Coronavirus in the middle of a global pandemic is a BAD IDEA and shut down our building, or the hospital will realize that and do it themselves.
 
Where is the daughter that is out adventuring who was basically mind controlled by the girl here?

Very curious how the girl thinks about what Viserys has done? His feats and laws are the opinions I'm most curious about.
 
Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Mar 17, 2020 at 3:10 PM, finished with 29 posts and 14 votes.
  • [X] Take a deep breath, the tell mostly just to make it clear you are trying not to blow a gasket at either woman. You are really not pleased by people dropping familial drama on your lap during official negotiations, nor someone clumsily wording a request for a bribe to a King who's reputation is basically sterling as far as keeping promises goes.
    -[X] "Picture this. You have a responsibility to look to the prosperity of your lands, but in addition to that your own vassals. Just as I do. To obtain more, for the rights to the passage for... for what? Gold? No, I imagine not." She can't say anything to that, at this point it would be admitting she would sink that low, when you have made it clear through your explanations already that trade would flow, and thus gold would follow. It would be a loss of face to admit she expects a bribe now before a King.
    -[X] "To show your rights have been upheld? No, after all, no Lord or Lady of Dorne would have the gall to have dealings with the bloodthirsty exile Viserys Targaryen." You don't roll your eyes, but it's a close thing. Signing over the passage would have no legal basis until your reconquest of Westeros, and if you are forming the legal basis for House Toland's possession of the passage, you could just as well sign into law that they were property of the state as they have no proof that Toland toil went into creating them other than archaeological evidence that you could easily erase.
    -[X] "What do you have to gain by playing these games, my Lady? If you speak honestly with me, I might be able to assist you."
    [X] Offer her 5,000 IM for her to sign over the full rights to the passage to you.
    -[X] Reply to her daughter: "But I assume you would? If you wish to impress me, I will gladly talk to you when this is done."
Click to expand...
 
Remove ads
Part MMMCCCXCIII: A Price Unbidden
  • Threadmarks
    • A Price Unbidden ​

    Twenty First Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    You take a deep breath before replying, somewhat of a dramatic gesture, but Ser Richard is the only one who would know it and judging by the expression that seems carved upon his face as if in granite as he looks at the two ladies of House Toland you doubt he would object. "Picture this. You have a responsibility to look to the prosperity of your lands, but in addition to that your own vassals. Just as I do. To obtain more, for the rights to the passage for... for what? Gold? No, I imagine not."

    To that there is no answer, there can be none lest one admit to expecting a bribe from a king. "You would ask for one if it seemed fair enough, so might your companions," Varys whispers in your mind causing you to swallow an ill-timed laugh.

    "To show your rights have been upheld then?" You continue in the same flat tone. "No, after all no Lord or Lady of Dorne would have the gall to have dealings with the bloodthirsty exile Viserys Targaryen." Any document you might sign now to that effect would have no legal worth until you hold the Seven Kingdoms in truth, not just in blood claim, and if you are to be the basis of House Toland's claim over the Wind Path... well then you could just as easily claim it for the state with a stroke of the stylus.

    From the tightening of her jaw you suspect Nymella Toland is holding to her composure by a single fraying thread, though you are growing more and more bemused as to why. Even if it were Walder Frey standing before, thinking himself wronged and stolen from, the Old Weasel would try to make an ally of you against his liege not force a concession.

    Teora merely looks resigned and she is not playing a part, of you of that you are certain.

    But there is more to this than pride and folly, of that too you are sure. "What do you have to gain by playing these games, my Lady?" you ask, hoping that bluntness will surprise an answer from her. A moment later you add sincerely in spite of your own frustrations. "If you speak honestly with me, I might be able to assist you."

    "What do I...?" she cuts herself off and looks at you carefully, almost as though seeing you for the first time. "I want my daughter back. She has nothing to prove, nothing to gain out there risking her life or getting ready to risk her life. I wished for Prince Doran to summon her back, but you could just as easily send her, could you not, Your Grace?" The anger melts from her voice as she speaks. "It just doesn't make sense that she would leave..."

    As her mother's voice trails off Lady Teora pales abruptly, the conversation straying close to her own misdeeds and whatever threat Prince Doran delivered after removing the traitorous Uron.

    "Practically every girl in Dorne pretends of be Nymeria at some point with a spear carved from a birch branch and a crown of green leaves, but my Vaela had long since gotten over it. She had settled into her duties, doing right by our House and then... I need to talk to her again, though I can hardly sail across the Narrow Sea to do so." The lady takes one last deep breath. "Can you bring her here by magic, Your Grace?"

    What do you reply?

    [] Accept, find Vaela Toland in Sorcerer's Deep and bring her here to speak to her mother
    -[] Bring her right away
    -[] Speak to her first to see if she knows or suspects anything about the enchantment she was under

    [] Refuse
    -[] Write in reason

    [] Write in

    OOC: As good as Viserys' sense motive is, it's not mind reading. He can get an adequate read on someone and miss out on their immediate motivation as he did here.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Is her position actually that unreasonable? As I understand it, we're effectively occupying infrastructure on her land. Sure it's bad for the economy as a whole for her to use it, but it still has some value. Even in countries where eminent domain is part of property law you still get paid when it's invoked, and in this context we don't even have that tradition to normalize forced exchanges for the public good.

    Not that she isn't being difficult about it, but why would she need a motive other than trying to make back some of the windfall that she sees herself as losing?

    Am I missing something here?
     
    Goldfish said:
    Well, I might have been exposed to Covid-19, y'all. The wife of a co-worker has been tested after displaying symptoms, but we won't know if she's infected until results come back on Thursday. If she is, there is little chance that her husband hasn't also been infected and spreading it around the office since at least yesterday, but possibly as far back as late last week.

    /fingers crossed
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Damn, that's scary... I'm not even sure what to say. If you feel the need to talk about this here do not hesitate to do so, anxiety be damned.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    A Price Unbidden ​

    Twenty First Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC

    You take a deep breath before replying, a somewhat dramatic gesture, but Ser Richard is the only one who would know it, and judging by the expression that seems carved upon his face as if in granite as he looks at the two ladies of House Toland, you doubt he would object. "Picture this. You have a responsibility to look to the prosperity of your lands, but in addition to that, your own vassals. Just as I do. To obtain more, for the rights to the passage for... for what? Gold? No, I imagine not."

    To that there is no answer, there can be none lest one admit to expecting a bribe from a king. "You would ask for one if it seemed fair enough, so might your companions," Varys whispers in your mind causing you to swallow an ill-timed laugh.

    "To show your rights have been upheld then?" You continue in the same flat tone. "No, after all, no Lord or Lady of Dorne would have the gall to have dealings with the bloodthirsty exile Viserys Targaryen." Any document you might sign now to that effect would have no legal worth until you hold the Seven Kingdoms in truth not just as a blood claim, and if you are to be the basis of House Toland's claim over the Wind Path well, then you could just as easily claim it for the state with a stroke of the stylus.

    From the tightening of her jaw, you suspect Nymella Toland is holding to her composure by a single fraying thread, though you are growing more and more bemused as to why. Even if it were Walder Frey standing before you, thinking himself wronged and stolen from, the Old Weasel would try to make an ally of you against his liege, not force a concession.

    Teora merely looks resigned, and she is not playing a part, of that you are certain.

    But there is more to this than pride and folly. "What do you have to gain by playing these games, my Lady?" you ask, hoping that bluntness will surprise an answer from her. A moment later you add sincerely in spite of your own frustrations. "If you speak honestly with me, I might be able to assist you."

    "What do I...?" she cuts herself off and looks at you carefully, almost as though seeing you for the first time. "I want my daughter back. She has nothing to prove, nothing to gain out there risking her life or getting ready to risk her life. I wished for Prince Doran to summon her back, but you could just as easily send her, could you not, Your Grace?" The anger melts from her voice as she speaks. "It just doesn't make sense that she would leave..."

    As her mother's voice trails off, Lady Teora pales abruptly, the conversation straying close to her own misdeeds and whatever threat Prince Doran delivered after removing the traitorous Uron.

    "Practically every girl in Dorne pretends of be Nymera at some point, with a spear carved from a birch branch and a crown of green leaves, but my Vaela had long since gotten over it. She had settled into her duties, doing right by our House, and then... I need to talk to her again, though I can hardly sail across the Narrow Sea to do so." the lady takes one last deep breath. "Can you bring her here by magic, Your Grace?"

    What do you reply?

    [] Accept, find Vaela Toland in Sorcerer's Deep and bring her here to speak to her mother
    -[] Bring her right away
    -[] Speak to her first to see if she knows or suspects anything about the enchantment she was under

    [] Refuse
    -[] Write in reason

    [] Write in

    OOC: As good as Viserys' sense motive is, it's not mind reading. He can get an adequate read on someone and miss out on their immediate motivation as he did here. Not yet edited.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.
     
    To reiterate the above more broadly, if anyone here gets sick or if a loved one gets sick or anything like that and you feel like it would help to talk about it even the smallest amount do not hesitate to do so.
     
    BronzeTongue said:
    Is her position actually that unreasonable? As I understand it, we're effectively occupying infrastructure on her land. Sure it's bad for the economy as a whole for her to use it, but it still has some value. Even in countries where eminent domain is part of property law you still get paid when it's invoked, and in this context we don't even have that tradition to normalize forced exchanges for the public good.

    Not that she isn't being difficult about it, but why would she need a motive other than trying to make back some of the windfall that she sees herself as losing?

    Am I missing something here?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    It's ancient infrastructure she didn't know about, didn't know what to do with until it was explained to her, and was cleared with the blood and sweat of someone else. In addition it might have existed before her House was even founded, even taking into account Westeros' ridiculously long-lived family lines preserved likely more in spirit than anything else, after all nobles are so inbred one could say everyone in the North might have a bit of Stark blood.

    And while from a modern perspective there are several arguments in her favor on a legal basis, this isn't a modern perspective. What we give her is by our own good graces what we deem just, and she's only fortunate that we are very just and fair.
     
    Goldfish said:
    Well, I might have been exposed to Covid-19, y'all. The wife of a co-worker has been tested after displaying symptoms, but we won't know if she's infected until results come back on Thursday. If she is, there is little chance that her husband hasn't also been infected and spreading it around the office since at least yesterday, but possibly as far back as late last week.

    /fingers crossed
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Dude, take care. You will likely be fine, (and save vaccine moneys from your horrendous medical system in the US), but it still might be a bad experience. Try to work from home if possible.
     
    Star_Crosser said:
    Wait what did we do again with the eldest daughter ?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    We knew about the younger daughter mind controlling and basically usurping her elder sister's position as heiress. So did the Martells. The Martells wanted to let it slide due to the scandal, and give a subtle reprimand to the younger daughter. We went along with that after making sure the elder daughter would be generally safe.

    @DragonParadox, did the mom not have access to a Sending?
     
    Duesal said:
    We knew about the younger daughter mind controlling and basically usurping her elder sister's position as heiress. So did the Martells. The Martells wanted to let it slide due to the scandal, and give a subtle reprimand to the younger daughter. We went along with that after making sure the elder daughter would be generally safe.

    @DragonParadox, did the mom not have access to a Sending?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    She does not, no and more to the point a sending is 30 words, not exactly enough to be doing any persuading.

    Also one more coronavirus related fact, I feel I should share: ibuprofen has been tentatively linked to worsening symptoms in cases of coronavirus, for anyone who has a choice it's probably best to stick to paracetamol. Here's a link to and article discussing this in an evenhanded way, including debunking fake social media nonsense about the degree of correlation.
     
    [X] Offer to travel to Sorcerer's Deep and locate her daughter. We will speak with Vaela and tell her of her mother's plea to return and once more take up her duties as heir. We will not, however, force the girl to return if she does not wish to.
    -[X] Without explaining the situation to Nymella, at least not yet, we will also check Vaela for lingering signs of enchantment which might influence her to stay away from her home.
     
    [X] Consider her request for a moment, as if genuinely surprised. In truth, you somewhat are.
    -[X] "I'll speak to Lady Vaela myself, and if she is amenable, transport her here to speak with you." Making it clear you're reluctant to force her into returning. "If nothing else, unless she was given cause to harden her heart against entreaties to take up her duties as heir, she should at least be willing to discuss the matter with you in person."
    -[X] Make eye contact with Teora, "Perhaps her sister would be willing to meet with her on your behalf? From what little I know of Lady Vaela, there isn't any rift between siblings to worry about."
    -[X] Take Teora to the House of Mirrors first, and explain to her, in exhaustive details, what it is used for, first from a mercantile perspective, and then from an intelligence gathering one.
    -[X] "Your reckless actions were doomed from the start if Prince Doran can deduce the truth of your folly with far less resources than I possess. You are going to fix this." You shake your head if she opens your mouth, eyes cold. "That will be 'yes, Your Grace', or I will send you back to your mother with a footman bearing a letter you will not wish to read the contents of."
    -[X] Sighing: "Let us speak with your sister."
     
    Goldfish said:
    [X] Offer to travel to Sorcerer's Deep and locate her daughter. We will speak with Vaela and tell her of her mother's plea to return and once more take up her duties as heir. We will not, however, force the girl to return if she does not wish to.
    -[X] Without explaining the situation to Nymella, at least not yet, we will also check Vaela for lingering signs of enchantment which might influence her to stay away from her home.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    We already know she's been whammied, my dude.
     
    Crake said:
    We already know she's been whammied, my dude.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    We knew she was whammied to leave, but not necessarily to stay away. There is a very good chance Vaela has made a life for herself and simply doesn't wish to return. Uron wasn't very high level, so it's unlikely he was about to plant permanent or extremely long-term compulsions in the girl. No matter, though, as I like your vote more than my own.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top