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

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Sacrifice in general, not just to gods, takes divine energy bit by bit.

See our friend the Vrock. We sacrifice him once, he loses enough energy to become an Incubus. We sacrifice him again, he gets demoted again. Bit by bit his soulforce is taken.
 
Azel said:
Fair enough.
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It might be worthwhile to make some informational material regarding this process when and if we start a research project on that. If the process requires some test batches to be fed through it, people have been curious enough to speak up during executions to make sure our procedures are 100% Ethical®

Not that this is normally a huge problem for us.
 
Duesal said:
Sacrifice in general, not just to gods, takes divine energy bit by bit.

See our friend the Vrock. We sacrifice him once, he loses enough energy to become an Incubus. We sacrifice him again, he gets demoted again. Bit by bit his soulforce is taken.
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Since I found out about the Lirgen's Glory, a magitech space ship from the Pathfinder setting powered by a captured Vrock, I've been wondering how often imprisoned Demons and other Outsiders get hooked up to a magical apparatus for power generation.

There's another example I can recall from one of the Pathfinder adventure paths. I think it might have been Rise of the Runelords. There was an ancient Thassilonian dam which featured a magitech mechanism that would activate a spillway to partially drain the reservoir whenever it threatened to flood the area. It had been operating reliably for over 10,000 years and was powered by a pair of bound Pit Fiends.

Not that I'm advocating for a renewable energy revolution powered by bound Outsiders, but they put the Energizer Bunny to shame...
 
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Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on May 9, 2020 at 9:38 AM, finished with 43 posts and 7 votes.
  • [X] Waymar, Vee, Tyene and Xor
    -[X] Viserys to Waymar: "Some advice, friend. If you don't stop rescuing maidens now, you'll end up with a castle full of them. I should know, seeing as how I have this problem myself..."
    [X] Malarys Level Up
    -[X] Class: +1 Seeker of Law
    -[X] Skills (8 points): +1 Bluff, +1 Concentration, +1 Diplomacy, +1 Knowledge (Law), +1 Sense Motive, +1 Spellcraft, +2 Knowledge (Religion)
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I am definitely looking forward to capturing the souls of Craster and other Void Spawn (maybe we'll see that false priestess we killed in Volantis?). They are perfect test subjects, and if there are unfortunate mistakes like Azel said they can just be sent to Yss. Eventually we will have the knowledge we need on how to craft True Outsiders.

Of course we kind of need the Imperial Afterlife at least possible first, so bring on those Mythic Ranks.
Goldfish said:
Since I found out about the Lirgen's Glory, a magitech space ship from the Pathfinder setting powered by a captured Vrock, I've been wondering how often imprisoned Demons and other Outsiders get hooked up to a magical apparatus for power generation.

There's another example I can recall from one of the Pathfinder adventure paths. I think it might have been Rise of the Runelords. There was an ancient Thassilonian dam which featured a magitech mechanism that would activate a spillway to partially drain the reservoir whenever it threatened to flood the area. It had been operating reliably for over 10,000 years and was powered by a pair of bound Pit Fiends.

Not that I'm advocating for a renewable energy revolution powered by bound Outsiders, but they put the Energizer Bunny to shame...
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I read about that earlier. I was mostly focused on the Emissary from Beyond, I didn't even notice the bound Vrock. :confused:

Also god damn, kudos to any civilization that can get away with binding multiple Pit Fiends like that.
 
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Interlude DCCXC: Growing Stranger
  • Threadmarks
    • Growing Stranger ​

    Eleventh Day of the First Month 294 AC

    Gilly was running so fast through the underbrush it was as though she was flying, roots and branches wiping at her legs hard enough to draw blood. If it had been any common beast on her trail that would have worried her, but the girl knew that the thing that hunted her was following the scent of her soul. If she lived to see two score winters she would never forget the sight.

    ...Craster's head turned towards her with a crack of shattering bone, blood still spurting from the gash in his belly, his eyes not dark and bloodshot from the mead Nella had plied him with the night before, but blue as cornflowers, cold as death. "I own every part of you girl, born of my loins as your mother was...." The voice twisting as though the sound itself were tearing holes in the world. "We Own You nOw AND fOrEVER!"

    She had not needed to be told to run, that something would be coming for her, though she hoped the voice in her dreams had spoken the truth about about leading the danger away from the others. Gilly had already killed one man who said he spoke for gods, it would be easier she thought to kill another if that one proved to be as much of a liar as Craster had.

    Though she had never been taught how to survive the wilds on her own, as Craster hadn't wanted to chance his wives running according to Ferny, the leaf-whisperer had taught her more than magic to bind and to kill. The girl knew she wasn't heading straight south any more, but southwest. That was the way her magic pulled at her so that was the way she was going to go...

    Changed one master for another have you girl, think this one's better just because he isn't planning to bed you? Was that voice braided with the howls of the wolves behind her, or was it inside her own head? Was she really free, or was this just a fevered dream while the wind howled and her dead brothers cried in the dark and cold?

    The wolves were getting closer. They didn't care if they ran over sharp rocks or through thorny thickets. Icy streams didn't chill them nor gnarled roots trip them.

    Gilly never saw the wight, she just felt the cold dead hand around her neck tightening, crushing....

    There was blinding light and the smell of burning pitch and impossibly the hand around her neck went slack, which only made sense when she saw that it was no longer connected to the rest of the wight. Nothing to show for it but a small pile of ashes beside the old sentinel pine. In one long breath she called to the tree and to the beasts beneath its branches and the birds of the air, reminding them of rain and wind, a blinding gust in the face of the other wight.

    Before Gilly could no more than start to look around for her sudden strange deliverance some kind of bird-woman showed up next to her with a voice like wind-chines: "Come on, let's get you out of here! We'll handle the corpses!"

    "You can't! The Cold Ones rule the wind!" she shouted, recalling all the times Craster had said that, mostly after using his magic to figure out what his wives where whispering behind his back.

    "Not here they don't," the strange women insisted just as one of the wights struck her with a sound like thunder, bending the metal strapped to her chest. Before Gilly could reach out to try to heal her, or decide if it was a good idea to let strange bird-woman carry her off four bolts of magic fell from the sky, two the color of amber that trapped wights like bugs in tree sap and a pair that were no color Gilly could name that seemed to just crush another one like a bug.

    There was also a big eye with a bunch of other little eyes growing out of it hanging in the sky.

    Gilly desperately wanted to ask more questions than she had words for, maybe more than there were words in the whole world, but life in Craster's keep had taught her a certain practicality. She threw her arms around the woman's neck and let her carry her away from the earth and the wights that swarmed upon it.

    Nothing but ash and amber survived of that whole patch of forest as the strange woman who had finally introduced herself, not that the name meant much to Gilly, carried her away.

    What do you ask Gilly?

    [] Write in

    OOC: Doing the discussion from Gilly's perspective just did not feel right, so I'm putting a break point in here and doing the next one from Viserys' PoV. One thing I can confirm here is that Gilly is a 4th level Shaman of Nature (The Old Gods). They have never had any such thing before but they do now since Craster was a (much higher level) Shaman of Frost blessed of the Others, and with Bloodraven at the helm the Old Gods are very much on board with stealing as much as they can from their enemies.
     
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    • Duesal said:
    I read about that earlier. I was mostly focused on the Emissary from Beyond, I didn't even notice the bound Vrock. :confused:

    Also god damn, kudos to any civilization that can get away with binding multiple Pit Fiends like that.
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    The Thassilonians could have given old school Valyrians lessons on being dicks. Powerful civilization and masters of esoteric magic, though.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    OOC: Doing the discussion from Gilly's perspective just did not feel right, so I'm putting a break point in here and doing the next one from Viserys' PoV. One thing I can confirm here is that Gilly is a 4th level Shaman of Nature (The Old Gods). They have never had any such thing before but they do not since Craster was a (much higher level) Shaman of Frost blessed of the Others and with Bloodraven at the helm the Old Gods are very much on board with stealing as much as they can from their enemies.
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    Gilly shall be looted and decked out in bling.

    @DragonParadox, can we have details on Crastor's death? It seems like all Gilly did was stab him. How was that sacrifice?
     
    Duesal said:
    Gilly shall be looted and decked out in bling.

    @DragonParadox, can we have details on Crastor's death? It seems like all Gilly did was stab him. How was that sacrifice?
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    She sacrificed him on the very altar he offered up his sons upon after planting a Heart Tree next to it (and growing it with magic overnight). The altar was burst from below by a nest of thrashing weirwood roots.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    She sacrificed on the very altar he offered up his sons upon after planting a Heart Tree next to it (and growing it with magic overnight). The altar was burst from below by a nest of thrashing weirwood roots.
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    How did she grow a Heart Tree overnight? Did she have sacrifices somehow?
    And is the "Ferny" mentioned in the Interlude one of the Leshies we have Bloodraven ?
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    How did she grow a Heart Tree overnight? Did she have sacrifices somehow?
    And is the "Ferny" mentioned in the Interlude one of the Leshies we have Bloodraven ?
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    1. Yes, she grew a tier one tree with using a few winter touched sacrifices Blodoraven had delivered to her
    2. No, that is the name of one of Craster's older wives
    Duesal said:
    Clever girl.

    Well... @DragonParadox, did she ever see the Other that kept taking her infant brothers as sacrifices? Was it always the same one?
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    No she never saw an Other, hence why she is still alive.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    Growing Stranger ​

    Eleventh Day of the First Month 294 AC

    Gilly was running so fast through the underbrush it was as though she was flying, roots and branches swiping at her legs hard enough to draw blood. If it had been any common beast on her trail, that would have worried her, but the girl knew that the thing which hunted her now was following the scent of her soul. If she lived to see two score winters, she would never forget that sight.

    ...Craster's head turned towards her with a crack of shattering bone, blood still spurting from the gash in his belly, his eyes not dark and bloodshot from the mead Nella had plied him with the night before, but blue as cornflowers, cold as death. "I own every part of you, girl, born of my loins as your mother was...." The voice twisting as though the sound itself were tearing holes in the world. "We Own You, nOw AND FOREVER."

    She had not needed to be told to run, that something would be coming for her, though she hoped the voice in her dreams had spoken the truth about about leading the danger away from the others. Gilly had already killed one man who said he spoke for gods. It would be easier, she thought, to kill another if that one proved to be as much of a liar as Craster had.

    Although she had never been taught how to survive the wilds on her own, as Craster hadn't wanted to chance his wives running, Ferny the leaf-whisperer had taught her more than magic to bind and to kill. The girl knew she wasn't heading straight south any more, but southwest instead. That was the way her magic pulled at her, so that was the way she was going to go...

    Changed one master for another, have you girl? Think this one's better just because he isn't planning to bed you? came the voice braided with the howls of the wolves behind her, or was it inside her own head? Was she really free, or was this just a fevered dream while the wind howled and her dead brothers cried in the dark and the cold.

    The wolves were getting closer. They didn't care if they ran over sharp rocks or through thorny thickets. Icy streams didn't chill them nor gnarled roots trip them.

    Gilly never saw the wight, she just felt the cold dead hand around her neck, tightening, crushing....

    There was blinding light and the smell of burning pitch, and then impossibly, the hand around her neck went slack, which only made sense when she saw that it was no longer connected to the rest of the wight, nothing to show for it but a small pile of ashes beside the old sentinel pine. In one long breath she called to the tree, to the beasts beneath its branches, and the birds of the air, reminding them of rain and wind, a blinding gust in the face of the other wight.

    Before Gilly could no more than start to look around for her sudden strange deliverance, some kind of bird-woman showed up next to her, with a voice like wind-chines: "Come on, let's get you out of here. We'll handle the corpses!"

    "You can't, the Cold Ones rule the wind!" she shouted, recalling all the times Craster had said it, mostly after using his magic to figure out what his wives were whispering behind his back.

    "Not here they don't," the strange women insisted as two of the wights struck her with a sound like thunder, bending the metal strapped to her chest. Before Gilly could reach out to try to heal her, or decide if it was a good idea to let strange bird women carry her off into the sky, four bolts of magic fell from the sky, two the color of amber that trapped wights like bugs in tree sap and a pair that were no color Gilly could name that seemed to just crush another one like a bug.

    There was a big eye with a bunch of other little eyes growing out of it hanging there in the sky.

    Gilly desperately wanted to ask more questions than she had words for, maybe more than there were words in the whole world, but life in Craster's keep had taught her a certain practicality. She threw her arms around the woman's neck and let her carry her away from the earth and the wights that swarmed upon it.

    Nothing but ash and amber survived of that whole patch of forest as the strange woman who had finally introduced herself, not that the name meant much to Gilly, carried her away.

    What do you ask Gilly?

    [] Write in

    OOC: Doing the discussion from Gilly's perspective just did not feel right, so I'm putting a break point in here and doing the next one from Viserys' PoV. One thing I can confirm here is that Gilly is a 4th level Shaman of Nature (The Old Gods). They have never had any such thing before, but they do now since Craster was a (much higher level) Shaman of Frost blessed of the Others, and with Bloodraven at the helm the Old Gods are very much on board with stealing as much as they can from their enemies. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    I liked Gilly's POV. There were a few places where her inner monologue really highlighted the poor girl's ignorance of things due to her isolation at Craster's Keep.
     
    Okay, several things.

    1. Are there any survivors from among her family? Less wights and sacrifices for the Others are always good
    2. I seriously don't expect her to have any useful info that Bloodraven wouldn't, but any insights on what a Frost Shaman can do IC would be helpful
    3. We need an updated Legendary Map of the Farthest North, @DragonParadox. I'm assuming things have changed with Bloodraven getting more active and vastly more powerful assets thanks to us and our Forges, and he'd have learned more of the Others and where they hide their forces.
     
    Simple and to the point. A 10 year old girl doesn't show up out of nowhere in the far North, especially one running from a horde of Wights.

    [X] Ask Gilly where she came from and if there are any others nearby who might need our help?
     
    [X] Question her on where she came from, any wildlings nearby who could end up being attacked by similar creatures, and where they would be.
    -[X] Ask her about the cold ones, what she knows of them, their servants, if more are located nearby.
     
    [X] Goldfish

    @Goldfish, at some point we need to have Bloodraven visit and make the necessary alternations of changes he's aware of for all our maps. He'd have the most efficiency with the Legendary Map of the Farthest North, but with how his eyes and ears have grown across Prime Material he can probably help a lot everywhere else as well. This would be a big help for the Inquisition especially.
     
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