- Location
- United Kingdom
[X] Goldfish
Plant minions are known to be obviously ours, while creepy undead isn't under copyright yet.
Plant minions are known to be obviously ours, while creepy undead isn't under copyright yet.
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
-
- Tags
- a song of ice and fire a sword without a hilt d&d 3.5 dungeons & dragons 100% high octane dragon fuel ave corvidae battle action dragon diplomacy best sister bureaucromancy delicious soul-stuff dragon dreams come true dragon ta'veren greatest uncle hubris is a coward's word in defiance of gods and men mammon's folly mutually assured mage's disjunction qm murderhobo top tier coatl
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I've updated the plan to include your stuff.
Is any of the Undead stuff pulled from what we're assembling this month? If not, we'll need to put Qyburn on the task and deliver them next month when they're all completed. The Forged servitors can be assigned immediately to hold down the fort, while the Undead and their Mold masters are being readied for next month.
[X] Make an offer
-[X] Assign Flesh and Fungal Forged servitors and Undead creations to help guard against incursions from Deep Ones and other threats.
-[X] Equipment: +1 Armor of Choice (x20), +1 Weapon of Choice (x20), Bead of Newt Prevention (x10), Crystal Mask of Detect Psionics (x2), Healing Belt (x20), Ring of Protection from Evil (x10), Sending Stone (x1), Spectacles of Detect Aberration (x1), Whispering Brazier (x1)
1 Grand Dragon Turtle (CR 15)
1 Seawyrm (CR 15)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Druid Creature Orca (CR 10, 9 HD)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Sea Drake (CR 10, 7 HD)
2 Kelp Golems (Reskinned Aquatic Pumpkin Golem) (CR 8, 8 HD)
5 Advanced Plant-Imbued Orca (CR 8)
10 Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Hippocampus (CR 6, 2 HD)
5 Advanced Druid Creature Seaweed Leshy (CR 6, 4 HD)
2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD)
2 Verdant Raven [Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Raven (w/+4 Racial HD)] (CR 6, 6 HD)
20 Verdant Kingfisher (CR 2, 2 HD)
Undead and Necrotic Mold Contingent:
3 Necro-Kraken with Blood Clot Molds
3 Aquatic, Lead-Clad Black Brute with Greater Blood Clot Mold as the Krakens riders
12 Bloodsharks
3 Lead-Clad Greater Bloodsharks with Blood Clot Molds
400 Spitter Swarms
20 Lead-Clad Black Knight with Necrotic Mold
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Vote closed.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Is it all right that I increased the Bloodsharks from 3 to 12? Azel didn't get a chance to chime in on them until right after you closed the vote.
Sure, that's fine.
Inserted tally
Part MMMCDXLI: Hosts of Flesh
Hosts of Flesh
Twenty-Seventh Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
Thankfully you are not lacking in forces to assign to the defense of Oakenshield, from the grand dragon turtles strong enough to capsize ships and shatter even the largest Deep One monstrosities to orcas, leshies and
hippocampi bringing the power of the Old Gods to the sea to verdant ravens and kingfishers patrolling the skies, able to summon the fury of a sea drake against any foes that outmatch them. True, Lord Humphrey would not be able to openly confer with the latter, but much like the Reader he can claim to know nothing of their comings and goings when word reaches King's Landing. As for the last and subtlest of the verdant host... well none should know they are even here until they come as an unpleasant surprise to any would-be infiltrators.
1 Grand Dragon Turtle (CR 15)
1 Seawyrm (CR 15)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Druid Creature Orca (CR 10, 9 HD)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Sea Drake (CR 10, 7 HD)
2 Kelp Golems (Reskinned Aquatic Pumpkin Golem) (CR 8, 8 HD)
5 Advanced Plant-Imbued Orca (CR 8)
10 Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Hippocampus (CR 6, 2 HD)
5 Advanced Druid Creature Seaweed Leshy (CR 6, 4 HD)
2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD)
2 Verdant Raven [Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Raven (w/+4 Racial HD)] (CR 6, 6 HD)
20 Verdant Kingfisher (CR 2, 2 HD)
1 Seawyrm (CR 15)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Druid Creature Orca (CR 10, 9 HD)
2 Advanced Plant-Imbued Sea Drake (CR 10, 7 HD)
2 Kelp Golems (Reskinned Aquatic Pumpkin Golem) (CR 8, 8 HD)
5 Advanced Plant-Imbued Orca (CR 8)
10 Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Hippocampus (CR 6, 2 HD)
5 Advanced Druid Creature Seaweed Leshy (CR 6, 4 HD)
2 Plant-Imbued Shadow Creature Cat (w/+4 Racial HD) (CR 6, 6 HD)
2 Verdant Raven [Advanced Plant-Imbued Giant Raven (w/+4 Racial HD)] (CR 6, 6 HD)
20 Verdant Kingfisher (CR 2, 2 HD)
"We will wait, we will watch, we will hunt." Even your eyes are not sharp enough to discern the feline forms moving through the keep's gardens without disturbing so much as a single bloom. Begotten of shadow as much as the powers of the Old Gods the hidden watchers seem almost fey in their manner, though that is likely them just being cats. Few things will escape their sight, fewer still would know they are observed. The fact that one of them could easily tear a shark-man to bloody ruin on their own does not hurt either.
You watch Lord Humphrey carefully. If he is troubled by the cats' manner he likely would take ill to your other suggestions for protection against the Deep Ones. Qyburn's reasoning in making the creatures are as applicable as ever and there is a pleasing irony in using a kraken, symbol of House Greyjoy and the Iron Islands and horror of the depths to protect against the Deep Ones, but you have to admit the notion of crushing implacable corpses stitched together with cursed thread and necromancy takes some getting used to.
Best start him off with the knights, you reason. They are more familiar in form if nothing else, though you will inevitably have to explain...
"Are you mad?"Brandon asks horrified as he looks upon the silent lead-clad warrior. "Using wights when Their servants are abroad and loose looking for more corpses, more tools for their hosts. As soon to slit your own throat and be done with it."
That.
"This vessel is a tool, but it is our tool," an utterly toneless voice emerges from the depths of the helm, the emphases as sharp as the sword at its side. "We are not of the Black Song, though we sing it, born and begotten to the Green a plague upon the heads of the Plague Bearers."
"They are plant beings, like the leshy, albeit born to a more particular purpose," you hasten to explain before the animating presence can be too blunt about its nature. The words 'blood clot mold' are not something to simply blurt out.
For a long moment the young Lord of Greyshield is silent, his icy gaze seeming to bore into the armored form with senses beyond most sorcerers and insight born of his dark heritage. "That's... I'm not certain if that is brilliant or horrifying,"
"I am," Danelle shivers visibly, though the day is warm.
"Are these beings safe and good at killing squids?" Lord Humphrey asks, voice only a little unsteady.
"Certainly," you reply at once, going on to recount the advantages of beings with no living mind to dominate, no flesh to taint and twist. Even one of these knights would likely have been able to defeat Damphair and all his allies back when you conquered the Deep.
"The Lords of Winter don't give a damn about what kind of armies we use and neither will the monsters below the waves," Rina interjects. "At the end of that day that is just flesh and bone stitched together and empowered. No soul was enslaved in its making, if we take off that helm there won't be any defiled face for a mother to weep over. As he said this is a tool, nothing more."
"We do not possess gender," the mold speaks again, though again its tone is perfectly even, air forced through lifeless cavities, you suspect the mold is bemused.
"Right," the Lord of Oakenshield sighs, placing one hand to his temples. "Well you are going to have to answer to 'he' if anyone talks to you so as not to raise questions."
"We find this acceptable," the mold replies before returning to its motionless vigil.
"Thank you for this too, Your Grace," the lord replies. "I'd be lying if I said I'm wholly at ease with the presence of such guardians, but far better to have that protection than not given what we're fighting."
As the lord kneels to speak his vows you are mostly satisfied at a job well done and an island as secure as you can make it, though part of you is sad you did not get to introduce the great lead-clad sharks in person.
3 Necro-Kraken with Blood Clot Molds
3 Aquatic, Lead-Clad Black Brute with Greater Blood Clot Mold as the Krakens riders
12 Bloodsharks
3 Lead-Clad Greater Bloodsharks with Blood Clot Molds
400 Spitter Swarms
20 Lead-Clad Black Knight with Necrotic Mold
3 Aquatic, Lead-Clad Black Brute with Greater Blood Clot Mold as the Krakens riders
12 Bloodsharks
3 Lead-Clad Greater Bloodsharks with Blood Clot Molds
400 Spitter Swarms
20 Lead-Clad Black Knight with Necrotic Mold
***
Danelle is obviously still troubled by what she had seen, though the question she asks you when you reach Greenshield is not what you had expected. "Do they have souls, your corpse riders? Can they know happiness, beauty and love, or are they too just tools made for your convenience?"
"They are citizens of the realm as are all intelligent beings in my service," you reply carefully. "Their pleasures are unlikely to be the same as those of men, their appreciation of beauty likewise, but there is no reason by their making why they would not know companionship, friendship and even love."
"They see each other as family, buds from the same stalk," Lya adds from beside you. "That is why they always say 'we', well that and the fact that every individual mold is also a colony of subsidiary entities working in unison. Perhaps to them we are loveless and friendless, alone in our singular bodies."
"I think they would give you a pass on that last part," Dany jests.
The Chosen of the Maiden laughs, seemingly startling herself before falling into a silence that is perhaps more contemplative than wary. Soon enough the seven of you are too busy with Lord Chester to speak more on the matter however.
Life on Greenshield seems to go on with almost eerie normality for a place you know the hand of the Deep Ones to be at work in. Trade down the Mander has been good since the Grejoy Rebellion and there have even been Ironborn ships coming to port to trade rather than to raid, the Reader's doing and that of the lords aligned with him no doubt, but also you suspect a entrance way for the 'reformed' faith of the Drowned God to spread.
By all accounts the lord of the keep is a fair one, if growing stubborn in his old age and a bit too quarrelsome for the liking of some of the merchants. Heading to the keep itself under veil and glamour you see much the same, though quite a few servants wearing the iron sword on a chain around their necks that Dany explains is a symbol of the new faith of the Iron God. At a rough count about one in three of the keep servants and armsmen are associated with the new faith compared to about one in twenty in the town itself. None of them show any sign of active enchantment nor does Lord Chester, though of course that does not exclude subtler mind shaping in the past.
"If this is the same cabal we faced at Volmark than they have learned subtlety," Dany sighs.
What do you do?
[] Keep investigating, there has to be a thread to pull somewhere
[] Meet with Lord Chester in person
-[] Write in
[] Write in
OOC: This came out a lot longer than I was expecting. I felt it was appropriate to explore how the mold acts and thinks given that they have just been introduced to the story, as well as Brandon and Danelle's reactions to them.
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Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
There's something here. They are hiding something because it is pointless to have mortal patsies and servants if you never make them do you service, evil mcbadguy factions can't not do things like that because they are pathologically incapable of looking at their investments as individuals with their own intrinsic value beyond what they can do for them.
I am fairly sure they just want to spread a d reshape the drowned god. They don't need them to do anything other than belive.
Jack vile Ripper
The swellest guy in Creation.
- Location
- Indonesia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Hmm, the last question should also be directed to your barbarous Andal Lords y'know? Do they not see the same for the serfs that tend their castles, reap their crops, and girls to enjoy?
Most lords have some appreciation of their subjects inherent humanity yes, certainly any lord Danele respects. Keep in mind she was one of those smalfolk before being chosen.
Jack vile Ripper
The swellest guy in Creation.
- Location
- Indonesia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
This is new. I always thought that most Westerosi Lords are these heartless, petty, and arrogant stain of shit upon mankind's glorious bastards that would sooner burn their children than to acknowledge that their subjects are actual living, breathing human beings instead of these obstacles in their grab of power.
But, alas. What do I know?
(Not trying to jab at you DP. I just despise these lesser organisms)
- Location
- France
I appreciate the character piece on the molds. Thank you DP!
A few subsidiary questions :
A few subsidiary questions :
- When we send off a big pile of minions somewhere, are they under the command of the local lord?
- Do they have their own internal hierarchy? Are they temporarily part of the Legion, or do we just not worry about that and hope that they never have to cooperate with other groups of our forces?
- IIRC the creation process for out plant minions always turns out spirits who want a body to fight with. But if/when we create sentient undead, will there be a roll to see if we get a pacafist, or someone uncooperative and/or who doesn't want to work for us?
- What happens if the molds breed? Can they make extra bodies themselves? Will they have to save their wages and buy one? I presume we'd provide a new body if the new mold colony wanted to serve us, but what if they didn't?
- Actually, if our mold colonies breed, will the new molds have ancient spirits plucked from the Fungus Forge, or will they be new souls like human babies? Growing up must be weird for them, as they're literally sharing a host body with their parents.
- Location
- Germany
@DragonParadox
Talking about our Flesh- and Plant Creatures free will and place in civil society is nice, but we seem to place 100% of our creations where we want them, in mostly military functions.
If we leave them freedom of choice, shouldn't some of them decide to go for other directions in life?
I think this might need some mechanical representation, as not to be just hollow words, say 5-10% of our INT 3+ creatures deciding not to join our military and be available for deployment, but rather make their own path.
Even if our production-methods bias towards obedient minds and such, surely not all are the same.
Talking about our Flesh- and Plant Creatures free will and place in civil society is nice, but we seem to place 100% of our creations where we want them, in mostly military functions.
If we leave them freedom of choice, shouldn't some of them decide to go for other directions in life?
I think this might need some mechanical representation, as not to be just hollow words, say 5-10% of our INT 3+ creatures deciding not to join our military and be available for deployment, but rather make their own path.
Even if our production-methods bias towards obedient minds and such, surely not all are the same.
Quest
The Great One
- Location
- Everywhere
I mean I think we've at least met a good percentage of them at this point and most of them seemed alright?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
All of the Fungal and Flesh Forged creatures were already available from our previous orders. The Undead contingent will need to be ordered like normal.
Jack vile Ripper
The swellest guy in Creation.
- Location
- Indonesia
- Pronouns
- He/Him
OMG, they are so cute! Look at them!!! They spoke like a something akin to our Valyrian Servitor but much more expressive! Kind of like an Astartes or a Custodes with their speech pattern and inflections!!!
Gosh, at first I was not sure of them. Now? I WANT MOAR!!!!
Ah well, most of our Andal descent citizens are not causing any unneeded fuss. And the less said about our Valyrian and Dornish the better. So I guess they're fine?
Still though, would rather see their entire culture to be subsumed by our own and their Masters turned into Divine Batteries.
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- If you send them to defend someone's fief they are under that lord's command
- In these ad hoc gatherings there isn't really any concern for inter-service collaboration, they are after all working overtly behind enemy lines. There is no legion around, maybe the odd inquisitorial agent.
- If you create and actual sentient undead you are going to need to get a once-living soul form somewhere
- The molds cannot make new bodies they need undead to colonize
- If/when they breed, they would get new souls
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I've always assumed assigned groups have an internal hierarchy arranged by mental ability and temperament, along with taking requests from the lords/VIP they're assigned to as orders, though only to the extent of their mandate and common sense.
The Molds cannot breed independently. They will need direct Forge assistance for that. There's too much danger of their population growing uncontrollably otherwise. Mold is kinda tenacious like that.
Pretty sure this has already been answered before.
IIRC, the only spirits that are incarnated into our Forge grown servitors are those willing to follow orders for a time. That doesn't mean they'll be in our service in perpetuity, however, so we should expect them to wish to retire eventually and either live in the world for a while longer or return to the Green Dream.
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