- Location
- Germany
[X] Azel
A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
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- 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
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Part MMMCDXLIX: What Dwells Beneath
What Dwells Beneath
Twenty-Ninth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
"I believe we would both profit from a more private venue to this conversation," you reply carefully.
There is no flicker of surprise upon your host's expression at the request. Had he already guessed something of your nature, you wonder. Your wards should have kept him from finding any definitive answers, though perhaps their very strength could have been a clue. An attempt to read your mind for instance would strike an impenetrable wall of the sort very few can afford.
"Follow," he motions to the door behind him, deeper into the building, down coiling stairs that bore into the bedrock beneath Oldtown. You half expect to see slick black bilestone veins worm their way through the stone but it remains clean of such and infestation. Instead you spot a translucent shimmer out of the corner of your eye, markings inked in some sort of oil... or perhaps a mucus. You had never faced the deep dwelling horrors called aboleth in the flesh, but you had heard enough tales of them to know they are masters at wardcraft. Is one of them involved with Sunset Shores, or merely playing its own games, trading in secrets?
Regardless you can feel the weight of the magic all around you, heavier than bars of adamantine. At least as secure as the chamber in the Shadow Tower you would judge, though not quite as much as the sanctums you plan for your palace using fey-craft protections.
When at last your guide leads you into a second meeting room, windowless and all but lightless save for a faint greenish glow emanating from a spike of crystal growing from the center of the ceiling, you are unsurprised to see him change, flesh and clothes melting into smooth grey skin. You are, however, a touch surprised at what the transformation reveals. No sort of illithid at all, but a mouthless and featureless humanoid save for the faintly pulsing veins across its body and stilted green eyes. A shapeshifter, such as your wards would have become had you not lessened the influence of the Far Realm upon them, and from the poise with which it regards you, the knowing gleam in its eyes, you know it to be the greater of that kindred.
Perhaps you can shake that confidence. First you add your own magic to the chamber, spell upon layered spell to make it all the surer that no one and nothing can know from afar what goes on within these walls then, allowing your glamour to fad away and the clack of gold flow forth, you introduce yourself. "Viserys Targaryen, I have come to talk and see if there is room for collaboration between us."
"Indeed?" the word vibrates with the faded echoes of a thousand intonations, but beneath them you can hear an edge of concern.
"Rest assured that were I planning to attack I would not have made an appointment, but burned this place down to the bedrock and beneath," you say. Not the sort of 'reassurance' you would normally begin any discussion of cooperation, but you suspect candor would serve a better foundation than courtesy here. You go on to recount what you had found in the Shield Islands, keeping Ser Lyan's name out of your tale for now but not Lord Hewet's, making it clear that he is under your protection.
Your host is silent a long moment but not you suspect with indecision, judging from the way his eyelids twitch ever so slightly. He is communing with his masters, or perhaps his fellow conspirators, a doppelganger able to consume everything from a great leader's skill at oratory to a mage's spellcraft is not lightly dismissed even by the Illithidae. "We are open to negotiations, dragonlord, but there is little trust yet between us. Name your first offer that we may build upon it," it says at last.
What do you reply?
[] Write in
OOC: And here we are at last. You guys can make your pitch, just keep in mind that there is currently zero trust built up on either side.
Last edited:
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
[X] Azel
You started this, you deal with it
In the meantime, we seem to be in dire need of Watchman-templated creatures with the guys like... this, taking names and lighting places.
I'll put many researchers onto it.
You started this, you deal with it
In the meantime, we seem to be in dire need of Watchman-templated creatures with the guys like... this, taking names and lighting places.
I'll put many researchers onto it.
- Location
- France
Wait, we missed an opportunity for a potential Greater Doppelganger? And we risked a crippling phobia in the process, too!
In hindsight, this is a shame.
These days we absolutely can wrangle such alien creatures, after all. Surely we could have managed our wards by the time they grew up.
Furthermore, please note that demanding to see the leader of the Aberrations is risky. You may be asking to see something that will force Will saves vs Insanity and Fortitude saves vs obliteration due to nonexistent physical laws simply as an aura effect, or something equally bullshit.
Epic Aberrations are stupidly bullshit, and are inspired by Cthulhu.
In hindsight, this is a shame.
These days we absolutely can wrangle such alien creatures, after all. Surely we could have managed our wards by the time they grew up.
This is a Greater Doppelganger. It could very well be one of the leaders of this group. Those things are seriously powerful, after all - they're basically a slightly less OP Illithid Savant.
Furthermore, please note that demanding to see the leader of the Aberrations is risky. You may be asking to see something that will force Will saves vs Insanity and Fortitude saves vs obliteration due to nonexistent physical laws simply as an aura effect, or something equally bullshit.
Epic Aberrations are stupidly bullshit, and are inspired by Cthulhu.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
What Dwells Beneath
Twenty-Ninth Day of the Twelfth Month 293 AC
"I believe we would both profit from a more private venue for this conversation," you reply carefully.
There is no flicker of surprise upon your host's expression at the request. Had he already guessed something of your nature, you wonder. Your wards should have kept him from finding any definitive answers, though perhaps their very strength could have been a clue. An attempt to read your mind, for instance, would strike an impenetrable wall of the sort very few can afford.
"Follow," he motions to the door behind him, deeper into the building, down coiling stairs that bore into the bedrock beneath Old Town. You half expect to see slick black bilestone veins worm their way through the stone, but it remains clean or such an infestation. Instead, you spot a translucent shimmer out of the corner of your eye, markings inked in some sort of oil... or perhaps a mucus. You had never faced the deep dwelling horrors called Aboleth in the flesh, but you had heard enough tales of them to know they are masters at wardcraft. Is one of them involved with Sunset Shores, or merely playing its own games, trading in secrets.
Regardless you can feel the weight of the magic all around you, heavier than bars of adamant. At least as secure as the chamber in the Shadow Tower you would judge, though not quite as secure as the sanctums you plan for your palace using fey-craft protections.
When at last your guide leads you into a second meeting room, windowless and all but lightless save for a faint greenish glow emanating from a spike of crystal growing from the center of the ceiling, you are unsurprised to see him change, flesh and clothes melting into smooth grey skin. You are, however, a touch surprised at what the transformation reveals. No sort of ilithid at all, but a humanoid, mouthless and featureless, save for the faintly pulsing veins across its body and stilted green eyes.A shape-shifter, such as your young wards would have become had you not lessened the influence of the Far Realm upon them, and from the poise with which it regards you, the knowing gleam in its eyes, you know it to be the greater of that kindred.
Perhaps you can shake that confidence. First you add your own magic to the chamber, spell upon layered spell to make it all the surer that no one and nothing can know from afar what goes on within these walls then, allowing your glamor to fad away and the clack of gold flow forth, you introduce yourself. "Viserys Targaryen, I have come to talk and see if there is room for collaboration between us."
"Indeed?" the word vibrates with the faded echoes of a thousand intonations, but beneath them you can hear an edge of concern.
"Rest assured that were I planning to attack I would not have made an appointment, but burned this place down to the bedrock and beneath," you say. Not the sort of 'reassurance' with which you would normally begin any discussion of cooperation, but you suspect candor would serve a better foundation than courtesy here. You go on to recount what you had found in the Shield Islands, keeping Ser Lyan's name out of your tale for now, but not Lord Hewett's, making it clear that he is under your protection.
Your host is silent a long moment, but not with indecision, judging from the way his eyelids twitch ever so slightly. He is communing with his masters, or perhaps his fellow conspirators. A doppelganger able to consume everything, from a great leader's skill at oratory to a mage's spellcraft, is not lightly dismissed by even the Iliithidae. "We are open to negotiations, dragon lord, but there is little trust yet between us. Name your first offer that we may build upon it," it says at last.
What do you reply?
[] Write in
OOC: And here we are at last. You guys can make your pitch, just keep in mind that there is currently zero trust built up on either side. Not yet edited.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
*laughs in viserys*
*laughs in bling*
- Location
- Argentina
These guys are the ones who rebelled from the big great blob of grey matter. They are less powerful than that, otherwise they would have taken control.
So I don't expect anything more powerful than CR 20 or so. This guy is CR 12, so he is at the same level of an Ulitharid, though.
Even if we can make some rediculous saves, it would be rather rude to have our opening bid be "fuck off and send in your boss."
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Keep in mind, it is highly unlikely THIS Elder Brain is your 'run of the mill' CR 26 variety.
He is probably got something special to exhibit his status as THE God-Brain (which is another canon D&D thing). Expect MR.
- Location
- Argentina
Still, I don't expect these guys to be so almighty in comparison with the main faction.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
It would be fair to assume their leader is high CR, as in 20+, by sheer dint of the fact only some extremely powerful leaders could hide a large scale rebellion when it actively mind probes EVERYONE networked to it constantly.
tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
I don't think he's THE God-Brain, one of the higher up brains maybe, but the Plane of Balance is only a minor front for the Illithid, the biggest brain is probably in Nirvana or the Plane of Water.
- Location
- France
He's potentially a Diplomancer or high-level spellcaster though, depending on who he ate. I mean, we can probably take him (although this place may have dangerous wards or reinforcements handy), but he may be more dangerous than CR 12 would indicate.
That's a monster whose CR is rather arbitrary, honestly.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
We only know about one Elder Brain, my dude. And we have hints toward the fact that they have sabotaged others from forming, given that 'statue' we recovered from Water.
Either it's here on the Material Plane or it is working through proxies. But it's still likely that a God-Brain leads the Deep Ones.
tarrangar
Fat arctic chicken
I doubt there's only one Elder Brain, I don't think the Illithids would be able to have a multi-plane empire with only 1 Elder Brain, and they're active on at least 3 planes.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Greater Dopplegangers are default CR 12, but can gain class levels. With just a few levels and it's own Consume Identity abilitiy, it could easily be capable of casting 8th level spells or psionic powers if it found a powerful enough brain to eat.
Wait, we missed an opportunity for a potential Greater Doppelganger? And we risked a crippling phobia in the process, too!
In hindsight, this is a shame.
These days we absolutely can wrangle such alien creatures, after all. Surely we could have managed our wards by the time they grew up.
It would only have been one being not three and a greater Doppelganger would have required very high or very low rolls
Anyway good night guys, see you in the morning with the negotiations.