Good night guys, see you tomorrow with more from the City of Splendid Waves.
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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- 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
[X] Take the evidence, but use it to aid in an investigation of Lady Bhuia before deciding on whether we will report the crime.
-[X] Attempt to delve deeper into Guildmaster Sergun's personal life and private dealings to determine whether he has been compromised by hostile forces or is working with them willingly.
-[X] Attempt to delve deeper into Guildmaster Sergun's personal life and private dealings to determine whether he has been compromised by hostile forces or is working with them willingly.
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Goldfish
We should also consider what breaking one scandal on the heels of another would look like. Even if these are overt crimes and scandals this setup could relatively easily be spun to imply that we're constantly spying on their leaders, which isn't a good look.
If we want to actually do this, we shouldn't do it directly using this documentation. We should use it to find something that should be available but doesn't actually exist, then make up an excuse to try using that portion if the system in a semi public manner. If we can trigger an internal investigation without directly invoking one it'll be a lot easier to buy that we aren't stalking everyone with real political power in the city.
If we want to actually do this, we shouldn't do it directly using this documentation. We should use it to find something that should be available but doesn't actually exist, then make up an excuse to try using that portion if the system in a semi public manner. If we can trigger an internal investigation without directly invoking one it'll be a lot easier to buy that we aren't stalking everyone with real political power in the city.
- Location
- United States
We should make good on that threat and move the Terminus offer to a city that isn't trying to screw us over.
- Location
- Germany
[X] Take the evidence and set up a meeting with the leadership of the Blues.
-[X] Hand the "original" "evidence" over to them after making a copy of it.
-[X] Tell them that you do not believe that this is in any way reliable evidence (leaving it up to interpretation if you think it's too weak or that it's fake) and that you are informing them of this scheme of the purples not as a favor you expect to be paid back, but as an insult to the purples in response to them trying to feed you this poppy-cock.
-[X] Speak with them about their view on politics in Vialesk and how you are already tired of the established players and their nonsense.
-[X] Hand the "original" "evidence" over to them after making a copy of it.
-[X] Tell them that you do not believe that this is in any way reliable evidence (leaving it up to interpretation if you think it's too weak or that it's fake) and that you are informing them of this scheme of the purples not as a favor you expect to be paid back, but as an insult to the purples in response to them trying to feed you this poppy-cock.
-[X] Speak with them about their view on politics in Vialesk and how you are already tired of the established players and their nonsense.
enigma1995
Gentleman Beholder
[X] Azel
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Azel
- Location
- United States
The sheer amount of profit they stand to lose if they don't get a Terminus should see more than one factions have a sudden change of leadership.
That being said we need to be willing to actually make good on our threat. No skin off our back if the Terminus ends up going to a rival city.
- Location
- Germany
The thing is, Vialesk doesn't really seem worth the effort to me. Other cities would greet us with open arms.
F0lkL0re
Officially not an Inquisitor
- Location
- Shetland
I don't know Azel I'm not sure we know enough about the situation to be able to go down that route with out it blowing up in our face.
Can someone remind me which other cities there are an what their attitudes towards us are.
- Location
- United States
Yeah. It's incredibly offputting to show up with an obviously beneficial deal and then have the guys on the other side try to ruin it.
- Location
- Germany
Which is precisely why I want to fish for information with the Blues. Purple is clearly trying to set us up, so I see no reason not to abuse their trap as a cheap in with another faction. Furthermore, next time, the Purples should be more willing to cut out the nonsense and deal with us at eyelevel.
F0lkL0re
Officially not an Inquisitor
- Location
- Shetland
We're a dragon and they've had some bad experiences with dragons in the past which makes them very weary of dealing with such creatures again unless the deal is clearly massively in their favour their going to be very reluctant to take it, what we're offing is something new and, to them, untested so they're not going to just jump in head first because it looks good on the surface and their paranoia about the big scaly monsters says that there must be a trap somewhere.
Yeah but you're trying to burn our bridges with the purples at the same time, a bit more subtlety might not go amiss in this one.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
The only, only thing making Vialesk good for a Terminus in my mind is that it is a dedicated "trade"-focused city.
All the others have something they focus on, and trade.
Vialesk is anything and everything, afaik.
Great thing for us, of course, is that any of the Marid cities will greatly profit both themselves and us by having a Terminus established in it.
I dare think Vialesk's profile will make only 10-20% difference at most.
And while we won't refuse the profits, I think it isn't why we are here.
We want to sway as many of them as possible into alliances against Squids and Efreeti alike.
And the obscene trade profits from Terminuses are the larest stick so far.
Whoever establishes one first wins a lot of free buck.
[X] Azel
Alas, she both asked for this assignment first (or am I misremembering?) and is the only semi-competent diplomancer we can spare at-will.
I can try to put someone from Companion-grade on this instead for the 3rd month, if you feel there is need for that.
Zherys and Wyla had decent socials, iirc?
All the others have something they focus on, and trade.
Vialesk is anything and everything, afaik.
Great thing for us, of course, is that any of the Marid cities will greatly profit both themselves and us by having a Terminus established in it.
I dare think Vialesk's profile will make only 10-20% difference at most.
And while we won't refuse the profits, I think it isn't why we are here.
We want to sway as many of them as possible into alliances against Squids and Efreeti alike.
And the obscene trade profits from Terminuses are the larest stick so far.
Whoever establishes one first wins a lot of free buck.
[X] Azel
I can feel your pain.
Alas, she both asked for this assignment first (or am I misremembering?) and is the only semi-competent diplomancer we can spare at-will.
I can try to put someone from Companion-grade on this instead for the 3rd month, if you feel there is need for that.
Zherys and Wyla had decent socials, iirc?
- Location
- Germany
1. What? This is a private meeting with the Blues. The Purples should technically know nothing that happens there.
2. If the Purples can't deal with us turning their transparent bullshit to our own advantage, we have literally nothing to gain from associating with them. We came in the name of cooperation and got handed this nonsense in return. If this is how they treat allies, I'm uninterested.
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- Location
- United States
Sure, they have their history, but we're not under any obligation to bend over backwards to accommodate their scheming. There are plenty of other cities in the Plane of Water, and a good chunk of them would leap on the offer of a Terminus unlike Vialesk.
If they are reluctant to engage in a deal that isn't massively in their favor, fine. We can go to a rival city who will be willing to deal with us more fairly.
There's no reason for us to cling to the idea of the Terminus being in Vialesk alone.
No, they're the ones trying to undermine the bridge and hope we fall through rotten planks. The blame isn't on us here.
- Location
- Germany
I largely see this endeavour as pointless. We're not getting them to do anything against the Illithid without reshaping the government coalition and I'm not interested in doing that unless we actually rule the place afterwards.
F0lkL0re
Officially not an Inquisitor
- Location
- Shetland
The info itself might not be bullshit though, the way it's being used is yes but the info might not be.
Something deeper may be happening we need to check things so we don't get egg on our face.
- Location
- United States
Vialesk is mostly just a place to do our shopping at this point. Which is honestly fine. Excellent place to commission Mind Blanks since the Shaitan and the Djinn enchanters are swamped with their wartime commissions.
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Okay, so, I should have Hermetia focus on establishing Planar Terminuses in all other cities she can, then?
Force everyone to come to our help (once we start fighting with illithids on PoB, so we have a while) lest they risk to lose the profits the Terminuses will bring, and all?
I'm not at all bound to the idea we must get Vialesk. I'm just not sure what are we going to gun for if not it.
Can someone remind me, what was the opinion of the Marids about the Efreeti war during our last IC-visit there?
I vaguely remember DP stating they (well, most of the city-states anyway) were likely to join in if sufficiently convinced...
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Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Azel isn't coming forward to the Blues contingent on the information being real or fake, Folk.
The very fact that our arm is being twisted here to be their Straw Boogie Dragonman is enough. We use this info, outside of flipping on the Purples, and we look like we spy on everyone and pit Vialesk against itself, creating scandal after scandal in our wake.
That's a bullshit deal.
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- Location
- Germany
If the intel was actually useful and valuable, they would be using it themselves. There's no reason to sit on it, but to hand it out to us without prompting.
You are afraid of doing something. I see it every time there is intrigue to be done. It's not productive to just sit on our thumbs and spin "but what if"-scenarios until the sun goes nova.