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

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[X] Duesal

@DragonParadox curious, could we learn on how Marwyn might feel about possibly working with Qyburn since he left order on less than good terms but maybe the archmaester that was one of few that didn't think less of him?
 
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Duesal said:
That'd actually be a decent offer, imo, and not too soon since we've already distributed the Calligraphy Wyrms throughout our minions.

If there aren't any big objections I'll add that in.
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I bet Marwyn would be interested in seeing our Truespeech Arcane Printing Presses. Even if you ignore their ability to print text that anyone can read, they represent such a monumental change in the reproduction and distribution of knowledge, as opposed to the traditional method of scribes laboriously copying texts by hand, that someone like Marwyn should immediately understand the implications. Not just for the spread of knowledge in general in the years to come, but how that could affect the Citadel (especially since he doesn't yet know our plans for the organization).
 
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Vote closed.
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Jun 23, 2020 at 3:55 PM, finished with 21 posts and 13 votes.
  • [X] Try to recruit them
    -[X] Offer:
    --[X] Gear specially crafted for each of them
    --[X] Access to our lore, with the understanding that we get their lore as well
    --[X] Full funding for any important research, though their primary duties would be for state directed research
    --[X] A Calligraphy Wyrm assistant for Archmaester Marwyn which we can bond to him as an Improved Familiar if he desires
    --[X] Land grants to those interested (not making them rulers, just a plot of land where they can build a nice manor or something)
    --[X] A signup bonus of 5,000 IM each //Trying to be generous here, but I didn't want to be overly generous. They're already getting most of their wealth in gear.
    --[X] Our aid against any enemies they may have made, and our strongholds to shelter them whenever they need it
    -[X] We are both well aware of our many and mighty mutual enemies. We are at our best when bound to a common cause, and our extensive resources being available to Archmaester Marwyn in pursuit of our defense certainly wouldn't hurt. Not to mention all the scholars in the Imperium, starting with Lya, who would love to debate him and compare notes.
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Part MMMDLXXII: Thief's Veil, Scholar's Mask
  • Threadmarks
    • Thief's Veil, Scholar's Mask ​

    Twenty Eight Day of the First Month 294 AC

    The offer you make is as straightforward as it is generous, enchanted talismans, armors, weapons and whatever else they might need, a payment of five thousand marks no questions asked and land grants for any who might be interested in such things, a knight's holdings. To tell the truth one of the people around the table tonight look like they have much interest in the responsibilities of a greater title, but they could certainly win it with greater service.

    Vargo seems interested, though the Asabhadi mage seems more amused and you cannot read Sari's flat expression as she seems to sink deeper into her shadowy corner as the meeting wears on. For the Archamaester of Valyrian steel mask, rod and ring you pledge a full exchange of lore and founding for any study of the Higher Mysteries within reason and of course aid against those common foes he had mentioned earlier, making is clear that you do not mean solely the Deep Ones or the Powers of the North.

    The Citadel no less then the Usurper in King's Landing could find itself the target of such an agreement, you let it be understood, and for much the same reasons. They have failed in their charge as he has failed and to hear Marwyn tell it they too have usurped his authority.

    "I must admit we had not expected quite so warm a welcome, a sight unseen..." the archmaester takes a long drink of his beer, perhaps to hide the full depth of his surprise behind the tankard, though if so it does not take him long to recover. "Though I think you've got one guess wrong." he nods towards the leather-garbed Sari. "I think you can take it off for a moment."

    It, you discover, is her mind ward enchantment, a small bronze talisman, a tablet writ with the same script as Ashin's accouterments. The sudden flaring of auras, more than a dozen in all ranging from minor to middling to what you are reasonably sure is a minor artifact hidden somewhere about her person is almost dazzling to your senses. It is as though you had just seen a genie noble armed for war... or one of your own Companions.

    "Point taken," you reply impressed, all the more so by the fact that the four had managed to acquire such enchantments without sparking rumor and hearsay. Perhaps Marwyn's travels had taken him further away for longer than you expected. After all, you have still few eyes in the far east. "Given that you do not require as many wards and weapons as many who have come into my service a greater payment in gold is on the table, but those are in the end details. What say you, does my service suit you?"

    "Would you be needing a maester, Your Grace?" Marwyn asks, his dark gaze boring into yours. The implication is obvious. What are your plans for the Citadel?

    You had been reasonably circumspect on the matter until now beyond commiserating with his thwarted claim on the vaults beneath the Citadel. It seems however that the archmaester would like a clearer answer before you continue this conversation. A fair enough question given that he is both bound by by the order's vows and of high standing within it, in theory at least unlike Qyburn who had come to you a renegade.

    What do you reply?

    [] No, you would not be needing a maester

    [] Yes... for now

    [] Write in

    OOC: You guys might have to drop a a few IM on polishing off some minor enchantments if it comes to it, but not major investments into enchantments if Marwyn and company take the deal.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • I forget, is the Citadel on the "Burn it to ashes and loot the remains" list or not?

    I know the old codgers at the top have some kind of scheme going on but I don't know if the rest of their order was in on it.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Thief's Veil, Scholar's Mask ​

    Twenty Eight Day of the First Month 294 AC

    The offer you make is as straightforward as it is generous, enchanted talismans, armors, weapons and whatever else they might need, a payment of five thousand marks no questions asked, and land grants for any who might be interested in such things, a knight's holdings. To tell the truth, none of the people around the table tonight look like they have much interest in the responsibilities of a greater title, but they could certainly win it with greater service.

    Vargo seems interested, though the Asabhadeen mage seems more amused, and you cannot read Sari's flat expression as she seems to sink deeper into her shadowy corner as the meeting wears on. For the Archamaester of the Valyrian Steel mask, you pledge a full exchange of lore and founding for any study of the Higher Mysteries within reason, and of course aid against those common foes he had mentioned earlier, making it clear that you do not mean solely the Deep Ones or the Powers of the North.

    The Citadel no less than the Usurper in King's Landing could find itself the target of such an agreement, you let it be understood, and for much the same reasons. They have failed in their charge as he has failed, and to hear Marwyn tell it they too have usurped his authority.

    "I must admit we had not expected quite so warm a welcome, sight unseen..." the Archmaester takes a long drink of his beer, perhaps to hide the full depth of his surprise behind the tankard, though if so it does not take him long to recover. "Though I think you've got one guess wrong." he nods towards the leather-garbed Sari. "I think you can take it off for a moment."

    It, you discover, is her mind ward enchantment, a small bronze talisman, a tablet writ with the same script as Ashin's accoutrements. The sudden flaring of auras, more than a dozen in all, ranging from minor to middling to what you are reasonably sure is a minor artifact hidden somewhere about her person, is almost dazzling to your senses. It is as though you had just seen a genie noble armed for war... or one of your own Companions.

    "Point taken," you reply, impressed all the more so by the fact that the four had managed to acquire such enchantments without sparking rumor and hearsay. Perhaps Merwyn's travels had taken him further away for longer than you expected. After all, you still have few eyes in the east. "Given that you do not require as many wards and weapons as many who have come into my service, a greater payment in gold is on the table, but those are in the end details. What say you, does my service suit you?"

    "Would you be needing a maester, Your Grace?" Marwyn asks, his dark gaze boring into yours. The implication is obvious. What are your plans for the Citadel?

    You had been reasonably circumspect on the matter until now, beyond commiserating with his thwarted claim on the vaults beneath the Citadel. It seems, however, that the archmaester would like a clearer answer before you continue this conversation. A fair enough question given that he is both bound by the order's vows and of high standing within it, in theory at least, unlike Qyburn who had come to you a renegade.

    What do you reply?

    [] No, you would not be needing a maester

    [] Yes... for now

    [] Write in

    OOC: You guys might have to drop a a few IM on polishing off some minor enchantments if it comes to it, but not major investments into enchantments if Marwyn and company take the deal. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.
     
    Have we investigated the maester conspiracy more ever since we learned of it and gotten the letter from Pycelle to use magic on to trace who it came from? If not maybe we can do so now in front of Marwym to get his thoughts on it since as archmaester he would surely know the players involved once we tell him what we see?

    I would think given his focus of study he would agree with plans to seriously break down the Citadel's influence since they were apparently so eager to destroy all traces of magic.
     
    Not quite happy with this, but I think it could work.

    Just in case, I cast Summon @Crake!

    [X] "I have no need of Maesters, Wisdom. My realm abounds with scholars and teachers, librarians and scribes, and their numbers will only grow in the years to come as comprehensive education becomes freely available to all citizens. They will be unburdened by an institutional culture which seeks to suppress knowledge." There isn't much point in being subtle at this juncture. The Citadel's time has passed. We'll salvage from it what we can, knowledge and people both, and see to it that needless ignorance is banished from the world.
    -[X] "Men and women of wisdom and vision, however, those with power and the good sense to know when to use it and when a softer touch is called for, that is what this realm, this world, needs. Are you one of those men, Wisdom?"
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    You know, they all use Internet Explorer too!
    The work computers come preset with all the important links saved as Internet Explorer shortcuts, so everyone just uses Internet Explorer for everything. One daring young intern uses Chrome and gets mocked for it over lunch.
    Let's not even talk about my insistence on using Firefox...
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    I've worked for a couple companies that did this too but IE is so awful that half of what we had was "best accessed through Chrome", I suppose I should be grateful they recognised that much but all the defaults were always set to IE anyway.

    At the moment I'm dealing with the joys of Skype for Business(TM) that has had its features disabled, no filesharing, whiteboarding etc.

    Figure that one out :/
     
    Goldfish said:
    Not quite happy with this, but I think it could work.

    Just in case, I cast Summon @Crake!

    [X] "I have no need of Maesters, Wisdom. My realm abounds with scholars and teachers, librarians and scribes, and their numbers will only grow in the years to come as comprehensive education becomes freely available to all citizens. They will be unburdened by an institutional culture which seeks to suppress knowledge." There isn't much point in being subtle at this juncture. The Citadel's time has passed. We'll salvage from it what we can, knowledge and people both, and see to it that needless ignorance is banished from the world.
    -[X] "Men and women of wisdom and vision, however, those with power and the good sense to know when to use it and when a softer touch is called for, that is what this realm, this world, needs. Are you one of those men, Wisdom?"
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    @Goldfish, so the things the maesters are supposed to bring to the table?

    1. Greatest library in the world
    2. Teachers for noble children
    3. Healers
    4. Communication via ravens
    5. Advisors

    We outstrip their library. We have our own schooling. We have magical healing. We have magical communication (intelligent construct ravens and whispering braziers). And we have our own advisors.

    We took everything the Citadel offered and did it better. They should be coming to us with an idea of how to make themselves useful.

    That said, Marwyn is far from sympathetic, so it's fine.

    [X] Goldfish
     
    [X] Knowledge Is Power, Now Stop Guarding It
    -[X] "The Citadel would claim that the oaths given to Lords that their number take service with, compel them to only choose between giving council sought after, or holding one's tongue whether or not it is required." The Citadel isn't wholly, or even mostly full of people who don't honestly come by these words, but going by the latter half of what you have said, even someone working honestly can do grave harm by having their hands tied by either biases or political concerns that the Citadel would fervently deny they are embroiled in.
    -[X] "A Maester is as much what he chooses to do with their knowledge as what he explicitly does not. Just as any other man or woman who wields power in this world. And mistake me not, knowledge is power, and the Citadel has guarded that power for thousands of years." Power is power, but unlike what most people believe in regards to secrets, the power of knowledge isn't squandered by sharing it. When the standard of learning is risen, then the depths to which knowledge can be expanded also rises with it.
    -[X] "I am not ignorant of my own actions. I have carefully sequestered the secular authority that I believe necessary in order to reliably and productively rule my realm, but there is much power and agency that I share freely and widely as is possible, as I believe it a right for all thinking beings to be able to make informed choices." Because then they will be less likely to make poor ones, which force you to clean up a mess.
    -[X] "To the Citadel, my policies are anathema. Their gatekeeping of ancient lore yet unseen is the only thing that makes them stand out in the myriad halls of learning I hope to raise across the world, so that people can come to grips with their own fates as much as they can." That's where the similarities end. They have allowed people without voice or opportunity gain some agency of their own... by denying the same opportunity to everyone else.
    -[X] "Where they fall short is actually leveraging that knowledge to improve the world in any tangible manner, not always wholly of their own fault, I will admit freely, but improbably so does the onus of the failure to do so lie with them, given how long they have had to pursue a path of progress no less than patronage of like-minded individuals with the means to make their works reality." The Citadel had so long to make a difference and change the world for the better, and we are given reason to believe they have willfully acted to keep the world as it is instead. The world was a shitheap before magic returned, and right now the dung is on fire and you are struggling to put it out. They have done little and less to clean up after themselves.
    -[X] "In what I hope to build, cooperation, mutual benefit and public welfare are of utmost importance, not the partisan games of yore." Something he shouldn't hold any love for, given what they have denied him for years.
    -[X] "Shall factionalism never become a concern in such organizations again? I am not naive, but as I have said many times in similar context, there is little point in encouraging or making it easy, and plenty of sense in encouraging the opposite with all the levers at my disposal." An ounce of prevention is better than ten pounds of cure, especially when cure comes in the form of bloodshed.
    -[X] "They are not the only organization who would oppose this new reality, nor shall they be the last. But they will pass, and those who took up their chains and robes to enrich the world with knowledge, or wield it for a good cause, will have further opportunities to do so." Both the people who joined to improve the world, and enrich themselves, will have the opportunity to live life the way they want to.
    -[X] With a pleasant smile: "And those who seek to stand in the way of the future I envision, to the point that they would actively undermine it, can go straight to Hell." You will kill those that you have to, and drag everyone else along kicking and screaming if necessary.
     
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