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

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Crake said:
@egoo I'd say I'm about 50% done with the next month's Strategic Actions, will have a write-up sometime this weekend for sure.

@Azel I didn't forget your few requests for next month. Mind like a steel trap and all that. I will also be taking into account your allocation for Titan Tool project time (had your estimations bookmarked for how long it'll take to finish those roads, bridges and channels).
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If you want some further input on that, I'd have a look over what you got so far.
 
egoo said:
You don't have to bother yourself with that, I think?

The last turnvote's (or was it the one before it?) "Strategic Actions are assigned in GDocs and no one bothers to write them out on SV" worked well enough.

It is not like most people on the thread take note of those anyway, and the proposal for Hero Actions barely holds more attention than that.
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Thing is, that's basically just me unilaterally deciding broad and impactful stuff that, albeit mostly backgrounded, basically guides the course of an empire.

Should one man have all that power?!

*kicks Viserys cardboard cutout out of view*

That aside, I'm going to do it anyway and no one can really stop me. *goes mad with power and institutes democracy instead*
 
Crake said:
Should one man have all that power?!

That aside, I'm going to do it anyway and no one can really stop me.
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Pssht!

Let's be real, minor actions have been the same way for over a year IRL, and they shaped far more of the story chapters than your measly economy and infrastructure!

Look upon my book-keeping ye mighty, and despair!

I have been behind everything. All. Along.
 
egoo said:
Pssht!

Let's be real, minor actions have been the same way for over a year IRL, and they shaped far more of the story chapters than your measly economy and infrastructure!

Look upon my book-keeping ye mighty, and despair!

I have been behind everything. All. Along.
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Minor actions have very little real consequence.

Strategic actions are the foundation for your entire sandbox!

Gaze upon my bookkeeping, ye easily overlooked, and despair.
 
Crake said:
Minor actions have very little real consequence.

Strategic actions are the foundation for your entire sandbox!

Gaze upon my bookkeeping, ye easily overlooked, and despair.
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Bah!
Could you strategic actions have wasted months' worth of updates?

Could your economy have led to people salting over and over, and arguing over pointless plot threads?

Why would economy matter, when there is no balance to work it against in the first place?
 
My write-ups are automatically superior since they provide the perfect excuse to make a whole newspaper issue since we'd never be bothered to do it a la carte.

It seriously doesn't become more ironic than producing your own rumor updates for other characters to run into in various negaverses. That well can't run dry.
 
...And when was the last proper negaverse omake, again?

That's that.
 
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Interlude CMVI: Beyond Fear
  • Threadmarks
    • Beyond Fear ​

    Old Baths of Qohor, annexed by the Green Faith

    Fifteenth Day of the Second Month 294 AC

    "Don't be afraid, the water feels a bit strange and clingy until you get used to it."

    The spectator looked on upon the rites of dedication, the subtle ripple of water tainted with arcane salts and the fluids of far-touched beings, and he pitied those who lead him through the chants and invocations. He did not know what to do with the pity, they must know what they were doing, what they were dedicating their fellow mortals to. Rites of obedience, yes, of clear sight and lucid dreaming, but also of fertility.

    Xor had taken on a female guise, the body well past child-bearing and one of the things 'she' had been promised was a family... children. For himself the spectator did not feel any disdain at the ripples of Higher Forms against his being, how could he, but had he been the mortal he was presenting himself to be then the violation of dependability... ah no, sanctity of form and legacy, would have been horrific. It still tripped him up how much of mortal languages was bound up in the concept of holiness, that seemed to him a sort of pact and resonance, no different than paying to listen to a concert. It still shook him the sort of things mortals were willing to do for their gods, to themselves and to others.

    Did they know?

    Two pairs of nictitating eyelids flashes in the candle flame, a dozen tiny mouths whizzed quietly in the steam filled air of the baths, muffled by the towels that would keep them hidden.

    Were they nervous about getting caught, or about inflicting such transformations of the flesh upon the unknowing?

    "Don't be afraid. The Green God is one of life and of peace, soon all your troubles will melt away into the earth," the youngest of the women helping with Xor's hair said.

    They weren't wrong, but Xor doubted one in a hundred thousand humans wanted that sort of sublimation of the flesh and will. That which they served loved Its children, but It also devoured them to birth them anew so that the cycle may repeat itself onto eternity.

    "I am not fearful, just a touch overwhelmed," the spectator replied, hiding a lie in the truth as he had learned to do from watching Viserys and Daenerys. "Why was I selected for this honor? I am no great lady or scholar, I have nothing to give but myself, my devotion."

    "You drank the cup of First Feasting and were not overcome by dreams of the past seeking to keep you back from enlightenment," another of the women replied, peering curiously at their newest initiate.

    Some kind of hallucinogen meant to induce a suggestive state and bring one's deeper loyalties to the surface? Xor wondered. That was an oddly specific thing to use an alchemical concoction for. There had to be active use of power involved, be it of the Spheres or the Forms Beyond, but he had felt nothing past his wards. At least turning all his charms and talismans unseen so he could bathe without giving himself away had gone well.

    "I am honored," this one was an actual lie, but it could not be helped. He was deeply worried about these women and what they may have been promised and were promising others in turn. They never really had a chance to say no, not if this Black Goat was what he thought it was, and that made Xor angry in a way few things did. The loss of will and identity of self, and for what? So a tone deaf would-be god could play out dreams of flesh like a child playing with dolls?

    Those treated like dolls would break them as dolls did in the end.

    The spectator swallowed his wrath and offered a smile to the one who had spoken first, Ryelle he recalled, she of the hidden mouths. "I'm happy to be welcomed so warmly, but I'm still new to the city. Could we maybe speak about more mundane matters later? Like where to find a clean inn and a good seamstress that is not too fussy? I fear traveling is not the best for my wardrobe."

    "You can stay at the temple," more than one voice insisted with bright genuine smiles.

    "I could not possibly accept charity, there are others far more deserving of it..." It took him a while to get the point across, but eventually they did relent and Ryelle agreed to help him look for an inn.

    ***​

    Golden Shoe Inn, Qohor

    "Don't be afraid, but I'm not exactly who I said I was back at the temple..." There was a lot less screaming than Xor had been concerned about, though that may have been because he noted her mutation without judgement or ill will. "I really do wish to know more about the Green Faith, but I fear you may not know as much as you think."

    "I... you can't... no one can keep secrets from the Eyes, no one!" Ryelle said, her breath coming quick and fast. A policing arm of the cult he supposed.

    "Well, you see I have eyes of my own." Xor wiggled his eyestalks for emphasis.

    She giggled, a pretty almost choral sound now that her mouths weren't hidden away.

    Xor turned an Outer Circle Cultist

    What do you wish to know about the cult?

    [] Write in

    OOC: I was a little unsure of doing an update from Xor's PoV, but given his success I felt that it worked best this way. Hopefully the perspective of a Far Realm cult as seen by a friendly, and by now quite worldly, aberration is interesting to read.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Good that we chose Xor for this I guess.

    I mean, I doubt some regular rites would mutate anyone with a willsave on the levels of our main-party, but still better to completly eliminate the risk.
     
    I finally got a Xor POV interlude.

    I expected an even more alien perspective, but I guess that Xor is kinda becoming a mortal in thought at this point.

    Also this is quite good, we have someone inside!
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Beyond Fear ​

    Old Baths of Qohor, annexed by the Green Faith

    Fifteenth Day of the Second Month 294 AC

    "Don't be afraid, the water feels a bit strange and clingy until you get used to it."

    The watcher looked on upon the rites of dedication, the subtle ripples of water tainted with arcane salts and the fluids of far-touched beings, and he pitied those who lead him through the chants and invocations. He did not know what to do with the pity. They must know what they were doing, what they were dedicating their fellow mortals to. Rites of obedience yes, of clear sight and lucid dreaming, but also of fertility.

    Xor had taken on female guise, the body well past child-bearing and one of the things 'she' had been promised was a family... children. For himself the spectator did not feel any disdain at the ripples of Higher Forms against his being, how could be, but had he been the mortal he was presenting himself to be, the violation of dependability... ah, no sanctity of form and legacy would have been horrific. It still tripped him up how much of mortal languages was bound up in the concept of holiness that seemed to him a sort of pact and resonance, no different than paying to listen to a concert. It still shook him the sort of things mortals were willing to do for their gods, to themselves and to others.

    Did they know?

    Two pairs of nictating eyelids flashes in the candle flame, a dozen tiny mouths whizzed quietly in the steam-filled air of the baths, muffled by the towels that would keep them hidden.

    Were they nervous about getting caught, or about inflicting such transformations of the flesh upon the unknowing?

    "Don't be afraid, the Green God is one of life and of peace. Soon all your troubles will melt away into the earth," the youngest of the women helping with Xor's hair said.

    They weren't wrong, but Xor doubted one in a hundred thousand humans wanted that sort of sublimation of the flesh and the will. That which they served loved Its children, but it also devoured them to birth them anew that the cycle may repeat itself into eternity.

    "I am not fearful, just a touch overwhelmed," the spectator replied, hiding a lie in the truth as he had learned to do from watching Viserys and Daenerys. "Why was I selected for this honor? I am no great lady or scholar, I have nothing to give but myself, my devotion."

    "You drank the cup of First Feasting and were not overcome by dreams of the past seeking to keep you back from enlightenment," another of the women replied, peering curiously at their newest initiate.

    Some kind of hallucinogen meant to induce a suggestive state and bring one's deeper loyalties to the surface? Xor wondered. That was an oddly specific use for an alchemical concoction. There had to be active use of power involved, be it of the Spheres or the Forms Beyond, but he had felt nothing past his wards. At least turning all his charms and talismans unseen so he could bathe without giving himself away had gone well.

    "I am honored," this one was an actual lie but it could not be helped. He was deeply worried about these women and what they may have been promised and were promising others in turn. They never really had a chance to say no, not if this Black Goat was what he thought it was. That made Xor angry in the way few things did, the loss of will of identity, of self, and for what? So a tone deaf wouldbe god could play out dreams of flesh, like a child playing with dolls?

    In the end, those treated like dolls would ultimately break as dolls did.

    The Spectator swallowed his wrath and offered a smile to the one who had spoken first, Ryelle, he recalled, she of the hidden mouths. "I'm happy to be welcomed so warmly, but I'm still new to the city, could we maybe speak about more mundane matters later? Like where to find a clean inn and a good seamstress that is not too fussy. I fear traveling is not the best for my wardrobe."

    "You can stay at the temple," more than one voice insisted with bright genuine smiles.

    "I could not possibly accept charity. There are others far more deserving of it..." It took him a while to get the point across, but eventually they did relent and Ryelle agreed to help him look for an inn.

    ***​

    Golden Shoe Inn, Qohor

    "Don't be afraid, but I'm not exactly who I said I was back at the temple..." There was a lot less screaming than Xor had been concerned about, though that may have been because he noted her mutation without judgement or ill will. "I really do wish to know more about the Green Faith, but I fear you may not know as much as you think."

    "I... you can't... no one can keep secrets from the Eyes, no one!" Ryelle said her breath coming quick and fast. A policing arm of the cult, he supposed.

    "Well you see I have eyes of my own." Xor wiggled his eye-stalks for emphasis.

    She giggled, a pretty almost choral sound now that her mouths weren't hidden away.

    Xor turned an Outer Circle Cultist

    What do you wish to know about the cult?

    [] Write in

    OOC: I was a little unsure of doing an update from Xor's PoV, but given his success I felt that it worked best this way. Hopefully the perspective of a Far Realm cult as seen by a friendly, and by now quite worldly, aberration is interesting to read. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

    I always enjoy Xor chapters, and this one didn't disappoint.

    Agent 00Xor, Interplanar Abomination of Mystery!
     
    Tomcost said:
    I finally got a Xor POV interlude.

    I expected an even more alien perspective, but I guess that Xor is kinda becoming a mortal in thought at this point.

    Also this is quite good, we have someone inside!
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    Yeah, I was concerned with not making it alien enough, but like I said he has spent years immersed in mortal culture and perspective so some of that would have been internalized, specially since he generally likes mortals and denizens of the Spheres.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    She giggled, a pretty almost choral sound now that her mouths weren't hidden away.
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    Ah, yes, the fine art of Aberration flirting.
    The first step is to avoid flinching when the discordant chorus of voices emerges form her twisted flesh!

    Avoiding this sort of instinctive reaction makes Xor a good choice. He has a decent academic understanding of mortals, but as this chapter shows he isn't one and doesn't have their instinctive emotional reactions to eldritch horror stuff.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    I mean Xor things she looks perfectly nice, not entirely symmetrical maybe, but mortals are weirdly particular about that.
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    Cute.

    Tomcost said:
    I finally got a Xor POV interlude.

    I expected an even more alien perspective, but I guess that Xor is kinda becoming a mortal in thought at this point.

    Also this is quite good, we have someone inside!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I read this entire chapter as "Xor blandly avoids reacting to stuff mortals would be seriously squicked out by", which makes the whole PoV rather alien when you think about it that way.
    But yes, Xor is in fact rather good at faking being human.

    It would have been nice to have some of the other type of "inhuman PoV" tropes, like focusing on weird details to identify people, use of an extra sense mortals don't have, or avoiding using names and instead using weird identifiers for other characters. But many of the common "inhuman PoV" tropes don't work here (failure to understand basic concepts or the importance of random details to humans, etc) because Xor knows his way around the human mind quite well.
     
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