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

[Azel]

Also, are we, or are we not, going on a wild goose demon chase via Dany now?
We only have 3 more days to spend summoning to meet the quota (and use up the Demiplanes) so we can suspend the process and just finish it by month's end instead.
7 days of time to run seems good enough..?

Click to shrink...

Depends.

@DragonParadox, do we have any kind of lead on this?

If not, I'd say we invest the free days this month into poking that mirror to find their enchanters.

 

[Crake]

Anyone from Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk would be horrified that we're reaching Blood Wars levels of escalation against the lower planes. I don't know of any other setting aside from Warhammer with such a ridiculous pileup.

Then again, in FR or Greyhawk those places are barelly above the the post-apocalyptic civilization despite supposedly hundreds of years passing since the fall of the latest empire.

Click to shrink...

D&D in general are death world settings generally mired in conspiracy and competing interests far larger in scope than the factions on the material plane.

The world seems to persistently not fall into ruin due to the intervention of "legendary heroes", but that's just because all those competing interests do not consider the Prime Material world important enough to go all out, since a lot of the Gods would get bent out of shape and go completely overboard like giant drama queens that they are, which is just not worth the effort.

 

[Duesal]

[X] Azel

 

[Azel]

D&D in general are death world settings generally mired in conspiracy and competing interests far larger in scope than the factions on the material plane.

The world seems to persistently not fall into ruin due to the intervention of "legendary heroes", but that's just because all those competing interests do not consider the Prime Material world important enough to go all out, since a lot of the Gods would get bent out of shape and go completely overboard like giant drama queens that they are, which is just not worth the effort.

Click to shrink...

*looks at the giant pile of demons made to super-murder the Court of Stars*

Good thing we are totally different.

 

[DragonParadox]

Vote closed.

Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Oct 29, 2020 at 12:09 PM, finished with 60 posts and 14 votes.

• ---

  14 people have voted

  [X] Plan Mental Health Offense
  -[X] Information distribution:
  --[X] Share the full information with high-ranking officials such as local rulers and everyone in the Inquisition of the ranks of Commissar, Inquisitor or above.
  --[X] Share the gist of the attack pattern, intrusion via dreams and use of compulsions, with all other members of the Inquisition, senior Lawmen and the Scholarium.
  --[X] Incorporate the information about the tells of this attack, weird behavior at night, restless sleep, intrusive thoughts when in a suggestive state, into the PSAs running about detecting Demonic corruption, enchantment or mental attacks.
  -[X] Future projects:
  --[X] You will have the spell Dream Shield turned into a ritual and spread through the whole Imperium, billed as a way to ensure restful sleep and to keep magical pests away. All informational material about Demonic taint, enchantment and similar threats will also refer to these rituals as helpful to mitigate the risk.
  --[X] Barter with Yss to obtain the knowledge about how exactly he is protecting SDs dreamscape and how such a thing could be replicated at larger scale.
  -[X] Policy changes:
  --[X] Add checks for mental intrusions to the regular procedures done during a health checkup by the healthcare systems.
  --[X] All employees of the state and Red Scales holding will, depending on the risk and security clearance of their position, have mandatory health checks at regular intervals, ranging from yearly to monthly, with unscheduled checks being done at random.
  --[X] Workers in the House of Mirrors will henceforth be scrutinized to the same degree as filing clerks of the Inquisition.
  -[X] Other, immediate things:
  --[X] Distribute 250 Protection from Evil rings to those among our enchanters and House of Mirrors personnel who don't already have one.

  • Azel
  • silvanknight
  • Goldfish
  • Crake
  • egoo
  • Andy0915
  • M4rk6
  • Speed53066
  • Faucar
  • Artemis1992
  • Othan763
  • Tutan0ss
  • SeekerofLight
  • Duesal

 

[egoo]

D&D in general are death world settings generally mired in conspiracy and competing interests far larger in scope than the factions on the material plane.

Click to shrink...

*looks at over a dozen Deity and higher-strength enemy factions we are currently as much as aware of that have interests in Plane of Balance. The half we can see so far anyway*

*looks at the giant pile of demons made to super-murder the Court of Stars*

Good thing we are totally different.

Click to shrink...

Totally.
*nods sagely*

 

[Takesis]

I really should have posted this when Abraxas and the false mirror was brought up... but it's never too late to shitpost!

OMG, who's the main architect of the mirrors? Wake up sheeple! Lya never passed the test, its been Abraxas all this time!

#lyaisabraxas #we'vebeendemonicallyscrewed #dp'slonggame

 

[Duesal]

Well, I want to make a Dream Forge. We clearly need our own minions flooding that area.

 

[DragonParadox]

Winning Vote

Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Oct 29, 2020 at 12:09 PM, finished with 60 posts and 14 votes.

• ---

  14 people have voted

  [X] Plan Mental Health Offense
  -[X] Information distribution:
  --[X] Share the full information with high-ranking officials such as local rulers and everyone in the Inquisition of the ranks of Commissar, Inquisitor or above.
  --[X] Share the gist of the attack pattern, intrusion via dreams and use of compulsions, with all other members of the Inquisition, senior Lawmen and the Scholarium.
  --[X] Incorporate the information about the tells of this attack, weird behavior at night, restless sleep, intrusive thoughts when in a suggestive state, into the PSAs running about detecting Demonic corruption, enchantment or mental attacks.
  -[X] Future projects:
  --[X] You will have the spell Dream Shield turned into a ritual and spread through the whole Imperium, billed as a way to ensure restful sleep and to keep magical pests away. All informational material about Demonic taint, enchantment and similar threats will also refer to these rituals as helpful to mitigate the risk.
  --[X] Barter with Yss to obtain the knowledge about how exactly he is protecting SDs dreamscape and how such a thing could be replicated at larger scale.
  -[X] Policy changes:
  --[X] Add checks for mental intrusions to the regular procedures done during a health checkup by the healthcare systems.
  --[X] All employees of the state and Red Scales holding will, depending on the risk and security clearance of their position, have mandatory health checks at regular intervals, ranging from yearly to monthly, with unscheduled checks being done at random.
  --[X] Workers in the House of Mirrors will henceforth be scrutinized to the same degree as filing clerks of the Inquisition.
  -[X] Other, immediate things:
  --[X] Distribute 250 Protection from Evil rings to those among our enchanters and House of Mirrors personnel who don't already have one.

  • Azel
  • silvanknight
  • Goldfish
  • Crake
  • egoo
  • Andy0915
  • M4rk6
  • Speed53066
  • Faucar
  • Artemis1992
  • Othan763
  • Tutan0ss
  • SeekerofLight
  • Duesal

 

[DragonParadox]

In the Balance of Reason ​

Twenty First Day of the Third Month 294 AC

After talking the matter over not only with Garin, Dany, Lya and Maelor, but also with Malarys to judge where the lawmen can do the most good and with your mother to weigh the mood of the court, you decide to be cautious but not stingy with the information. High ranking officials, including local rulers down to the rank of count, are given the full story as are inquisitors and commissars. Lower ranking members of the Inquisition as well as senior lawmen and Scholarum mages are briefed on the pattern of the attacks.

Finally, Dany volunteers to give a personal mirror report and write an article for the Imperial Times about the tells of this type of attack: strange behavior at night, restless sleep, intrusive thoughts when in a suggestive state. Though the tells are vague enough that far more people than simply the victims of the Whisperer are likely to step up that is not itself a bad thing, they could likely so with a chance to see a mind healer for their peace of mind.

"I'll have to be careful how I frame it, we don't want people to be stigmatized," Dany mused. "They should have the tools to judge themselves, not their neighbors."

"While I agree in principle I also think the state should do a bit more judging of its own to ensure we avoid or at least minimize such situations in the future," Malarys interjects. "Lord Inquisitor Drekelys..." he nods towards Garin who hands you a small printed booklet entitled simply, Initial joint proposal of the Office of Law and the Inquisition.

Mostly it amounts to systematic mental health checks in state and Red Scales Holding employees graded by how sensitive their positions are. You might lose a few clerks over it and it will not be light on the purse strings, but better by far than the alternative.

For her part Lya suggests crafting and spreading far and wide a ritual to ward the dreams of any who would invoke it against intrusion. The nature of the Dreamlands, the fleeting but nonetheless real dominion of their personal dreamscape, should empower such a spell far beyond what one can usually invoke through safe ritual magic. Ironically the greatest challenge may be keeping the cost low. If it is to become as ubiquitous as you hope it will be far too much for the state to subsidize.

Finally you approach Yss about the protections he has laid over Sorcerer's Deep and how he might expand them. Alas, the World Serpent has no easy answers for the protection is less something he does and more something he is, his avatar's presence coiling imposibily vast throughout the realm of dreams as it slumbers beneath still waters. While he might be able to expand such wards in other cities that host a major temple, they will be nowhere near as potent.

For sufficient sacrifice he is of course willing to do all he can. Gods of Commerce are so very pleasant to deal with. "Best twenty marks I ever spent..."

"Your Grace?" the courtier you pass by as you enter the council room, a rising star in the Office of Education, asks. Hearing enhancement enchantments, you realize. They are getting more popular at court by the day.

"Just an old memory," you wave it off. Magical hearing or not you do not think he is quite ready for an honest answer.

***​

You do not however spend the entire day engaged in the necessities of policy and legal changes. The evening brings an unexpected visitor from one of the farther reaches of your realm. Black Walder. The fact that he did not tell the chamberlain as to the reason of his visit leaves you slightly worried, though after demonic dream haunts you doubt it can be too bad.

"Your Grace, Omber is secured. Not as tightly as it might be, as it soon will be, but I will soon break the princellings of their petty feuds by that which is heavier than the wheel and more cutting then the whip, a well accounted for tax ledger."

You laugh at the words, jape and truth all at once. "But..."

"There are whispers of a plot against me and through me of course against the Imperium. I might have dismissed it as the usual venom one sows to discredit rivals had one of my black clad knights not been set upon by 'footpads' far too well armed for their ilk, seeking to capture not to kill. As you can no doubt picture it went poorly for them, but they were able to shed little light on who hired them. I have need of investigators I can trust. I thought it wisest to bring the matter directly to you rather than bandy it about in court."

What do you reply?

[] Promise an Inquisition presence by next month

[] Promise specialized investigators
-[] Write in

[] Write in

OOC: Sorry this took so long, I had an idea to add to Omber background notes and that took some time to get down.

 

[Evaunit02mark1]

For sufficient sacrifice he is of course willing to to all he can. Gods of Commerce are so very pleasant to deal with. "Best twenty marks I ever spent..."

Click to shrink...

Indeed. Honestly Yss has been one of our most valuable business partners, second only to the O.G.'s and even that only by occasion.

It's so nice when you can have a honest transaction.

 

[Goldfish]

In the Balance of Reason ​

Twenty First Day of the Third Month 294 AC

After talking the matter over not only with Garin, Dany, Lya, and Maelor, but also with Malarys to judge where the lawmen can do the most good and with your mother to weigh the mood of the court, you decide to be cautious but not stingy with the information. High ranking officials, including local rulers down to the rank of count are given the full story, as are inquisitors and commissars. Lower ranking members of the Inquisition as well as senior lawmen and Scholarum mages are briefed on the pattern of the attacks.

Finally, Dany volunteers to give a personal mirror report and write an article for the Imperial Times about the tells of this attack, strange behavior at night, restless sleep, intrusive thoughts when in a suggestive state. Though the tells are vague enough that far more people than simply the victims of the Whisperer are likely to step up, but that is not itself a bad thing, they could likely do with a chance to see a mind healer for their peace of mind.

"I'll have to be careful how I frame it. We don't want people to be stigmatized," Dany mused. "They should have the tools to judge themselves, not their neighbors."

"While I agree in principle, I also think the state should do a bit more judging of its own to ensure we avoid, or at least minimize, such situations in the future," Malarys interjects. "Lord Inquisitor Drekelys..." he nods towards Garin who hands you a small printed booklet entitled simply Initial joint proposal of the Offices of Law and the Inquisition.

Mostly it amounts to systematic mental health checks in state and Red Scales Holding employees graded by how sensitive their positions are. You might lose a few clerks over it, and it will not be light on the purse strings, but better by far than the alternative.

For her part, Lya suggests crafting and spreading far and wide a ritual to ward the dreams of any who would invoke it against intrusion. The nature of the Dreamlands, the fleeting but nonetheless real dominion of their personal dreamscape, should empower such a spell far beyond what one can usually invoke through safe ritual magic. Ironically, the greatest challenge may be keeping the cost low. If it is to become as ubiquitous as you hope, it will be far too much for the state to subsidize.

Finally, you approach Yss about the protections he has laid over Sorcerer's Deep and how he might expand them. Alas the World Serpent has no easy answers, for the protection is less something he does and more something he is, his avatar's presence coilling impossibly vast through the realm of dreams as it slumbers beneath still waters. While he might be able to expand such wards in other cities that host a major temple, they will ne nowhere near as potent.

For sufficient sacrifice he is of course willing to do all he can. Gods of Commerce are so very pleasant to deal with. "Best twenty marks I ever spent..."

"Your Grace?" the courtier you pass by as you enter the council room, a rising star in the Office of Education asks. Hearing enhancement enchantments, you realize. They are getting more popular at court by the day.

"Just an old memory," you wave it off. Magical hearing or not, you do not think he is quite ready for an honest answer.

***​

You do not, however, spend the entire day engaged in the necessities of policy and legal changes. The evening brings an unexpected visitor from one of the farther reaches of your realm; Black Walder. The fact that he did not warn the chamberlain as to the reason for his visit leaves you slightly worried, though after demonic dream haunts you doubt it can be too bad.

"Your Grace, Omber is secured. Not as tightly as it might be, as it soon will be, but I will soon break the princelings of their petty feuds by that which is heavier than the wheel and more cutting then the whip, a well accounted for tax ledger."

You laugh at the words, jape and truth all at once. "But..."

"There are whispers of a plot against me and through me of course against the Imperium. I might have dismissed it as the usual venom one sows to discredit rivals had one of my black clad knights not been set upon by 'footpads' far too well armed for their ilk, seeking to capture not to kill. As you can no doubt picture it went poorly for them, but they were able to shed little light on who hired them. I have need of investigators I can trust. I thought it wisest to bring the matter directly to you rather than bandy it about in court."

What do you reply?

[] Promise an inquisition presence by next month

[] Promise specialized investigators
-[] Write in

[] Write in

OOC: Sorry this took so long, I had an idea to add to ember background notes and that took some time to get down. Not yet edited.

Click to shrink...

Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.

Ah, Yss, you might have become a god once more, but in our hearts, you'll always be The Belt. 🐍

 

[Azel]

Assuming that was a honest effort to capture that Black Knight, the instigators behind this are clueless to what they are. A bunch of low-level muggles have about zero chance to restrain one of them.

 

[Duesal]

There are whispers of a plot against me and though me of course against the Imperium.

Click to shrink...

And so it begins. People calling the Realm the Imperium will gradually overtake those calling it the Empire, and this will shift dramatically after coronation when we officially give it its name.

 

[DragonParadox]

Assuming that was a honest effort to capture that Black Knight, the instigators behind this are clueless to what they are. A bunch of low-level muggles have about zero chance to restrain one of them.

Click to shrink...

That is pretty much what happened yeah.

Thug 1: Hit it over the head!
Undead Knight: *does not have internal organs*
Thug 2: Wrestle it to the ground!
Undead Knight: *possesses tireless inhuman strength*
Thugs 3-7: We surrender!

 

[Tomcost]

Do we have any priority target for inquisition actions next month? Because we can perfectly give him an Inquisition base soon.

 

[egoo]

@DragonParadox, do we have any kind of lead on this?

If not, I'd say we invest the free days this month into poking that mirror to find their enchanters.

Click to shrink...

@DragonParadox?
Also, give Progress plz:

[] The War of Tomorrow: The creation of the Legion, the widespread use of alchemy, the increasing use of launchers, and the invention of anti-gravity vessels armed with steam powered weaponry has changed how war will be conducted in the future, but at the same time, many of these things are still rough and simple, the associated doctrines untested and there is much room for improvement. See about investing more time and effort to improve upon what you have and to fill any gaps left in your military doctrine and technology.

-[] Razor Wire: While the easy availability of earth moving magic has made it much easier to erect battlefield fortifications, many of the Legions officers see still room for improvement. They are asking for something that can be incorporated into other defenses to block an enemies movement, but which does not hinder their own soldiers ranged attacks and which is vulnerable to hostile earth movement magic or alchemical weapons. There has been some talk about using spiked metal rods or something similar for that purpose.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)

-[] Proximity Alarms: Your have been in the possession of plans for enchantments that trigger an effect when something comes close to it for a while now. See about developing a cheap and reusable item that can be used to detect intruders. Maybe even Serpentstone can be triggered this way, which would allow you to even take pictures or recordings of your targets.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)
-[] Proximity Alarms, Advanced: With the basic alarm items having been a success, it is time to incorporate some other features from things you have encountered over the years, such as the Aberration detecting pearls in use in the Imperium. See about incorporating means into the alarms to trigger different reactions for different kinds of creatures that are noticed by them.
(Requires "Proximity Alarms" to be completed; Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)

-[] Proximity Fuses: Your have been in the possession of plans for enchantments that trigger an effect when something comes close to it for a while now. At the same time, battlefield reports from the Moonchasers have indicated that one of the core shortcomings of alchemical steam cannon ammunition is that they often only detonate after piercing their target or burying themselves into soft ground, greatly limiting the force they deliver on the enemy. See about incorporating proximity fuses into the shells so that they can detonate before hitting the ground or their target, thus maximising the impact of their payload.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)
-[] Air Burst Shrapnel Shells: The new shells made with proximity fuses are proving much more devastating then the simpler designs, but there is already talk about making them even more efficient. Nearly all explosive devices in Imperial use are incorporating dedicated shrapnel in their design, but it is becoming apparent from the new shells that much of that shrapnel is going nowhere useful. See about improving the shell design so that most of the energy and shrapnel is focused forward at the target instead of into all directions.
(Requires "Proximity Fuses" to be completed; Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)
-[] High Explosive Armor Piercing Shells: Multiple times you have fought the Efreeti already and while the steam cannons of the Imperial Airforce can pierce the heavy adamantine armor of your enemies with either solid shot or explosives, it still takes quite a few hits to reliably destroy an enemy vessel. The most devastating hits are always those explosive shells that find their way into the much soft innards of a hostile craft, usually by having multiple explosive rounds fired at the same spot until one flies through a hole blasted by earlier hits. However, some cannoneers have proposed to look into a new type of shell that would combine the ability of solid shot to penetrate the armor while also carrying explosives that would trigger once the shell is inside the enemies vessel.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)

-[] Improved Alchemy: The Imperium hungers for alchemical goods and much effort was poured into producing as much of them as possible, but it still does not even remotely satisfy the demand. Especially the military can devour concoctions such as Alchemists Fire or Explosive Packs at an astonishing rate. See about to either improve the output of your alchemical factories or to discover alternatives to these substances that are easier to mass-produce.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)

-[] A New Fortress: After having built a few steam cannon batteries to defend important locations, some common problems and design concerns have been noticed. The cannons should be on a high location with wide firing arcs to maximize their utility while the battery should be kept compact to make it easy to ward. At the same time, the crew and boiler remain the greatest weaknesses of the installations, the former since they are often housed in much more vulnerable camps near the batteries and the latter since the whole battery could be disabled if the boiler was hit. See about creating a standardized design for future cannon batteries to address these issues.
(Progress: 0/???; Cost: ??? IM)

Click to shrink...

 

[egoo]

Do we have any priority target for inquisition actions next month? Because we can perfectly give him an Inquisition base soon.

Click to shrink...

Slavers' Bay (less than this month, but some), likely Lannisters, possibly remnants of CoS, possibly Essos with rng-based incursions.
We don't really know yet, to be short. We might.

 

[DragonParadox]

@DragonParadox?
Also, give Progress plz:

Click to shrink...

I'll cover this in the morning. There's a lot to unpack.

 

[Azel]

That is pretty much what happened yeah.

Thug 1: Hit it over the dead!
Undead Knight: *does not have internal organs*
Thug 2: Wrestle it to the ground!
Undead Knight: *possesses tireless inhuman strength*
Thugs 3-7: We surrender!

Click to shrink...

Reminder here that the basic version is Large, so this probably looked like a Looney Tunes skit with Thug 1 having trouble reaching the head and Thug 2 having about as much success as if he had tried to lift a brick wall.

 

[Duesal]

@DragonParadox, we still need the City of Brass XP for Maelor, Malarys, Bronn, and Sarelle the Paladin of Tyranny.

 

[egoo]

@DragonParadox, do we have any kind of lead on this?

Click to shrink...

@DragonParadox, still relevant.
Subject-matter being chasing through the Dreamlands with Dany (and maybe Ann Caleris, she's specced in those almost as much as Dany) for the specific Demons that fucked with us here.

In the remaining... 5 (?) days of the month that we won't spend summoning in the Demiplanes as per the plan.

 

[DragonParadox]

@DragonParadox, still relevant.
Subject-matter being chasing through the Dreamlands with Dany (and maybe Ann Caleris, she's specced in those almost as much as Dany) for the specific Demons that fucked with us here.

In the remaining... 5 (?) days of the month that we won't spend summoning in the Demiplanes as per the plan.

Click to shrink...

You can do this, but in the short term the mirror is your best lead

@DragonParadox, we still need the City of Brass XP for Maelor, Malarys, Bronn, and Sarelle the Paladin of Tyranny.

Click to shrink...

Maelor 1650 XP
Malarys 800 XP

Progress to next level for the others.

 

[egoo]

but in the short term the mirror is your best lead

Click to shrink...

Ahkay.
We have 1 Lya Body and Dany free to do that RA-like.
4d6+4d6? Not so fast.
In 5 days, we can't reasonably expect any results, unless we quarter the rolls at the least.

Viserys has never researched anything in the same capacity as the people we assign to doing RAs do, as far as I remember, so I'm hesitant to include him now.

Better bet is to not treat it like an RA at all, methinks.
Leave it a mi or action for the next month, and get on with the other plotlines and countermeasures.

 

[Duesal]

Name: Maelor
Level: 14 (92,629/105,000 XP)

Click to shrink...

Name: Malarys Vanor
Level: 17 (136,747/153,000 XP)

Click to shrink...

Name: Bronn
Class: Fighter 9/Rogue 1/Swashbuckler 3

Click to shrink...

Name: Sarell of the Black Scales (Paladin of Tyranny 2)

Click to shrink...

Maelor 1650 XP
Malarys 800 XP

Progress to next level for the others.

Click to shrink...

Name: Maelor Level: 14 (92,629/105,000 XP) + 1,650 XP --> (94,279/105,000 XP)

Name: Malarys Vanor Level: 17 (136,747/153,000 XP) + 800 XP --> (137,547/153,000 XP)

Name: Bronn Class: Fighter 9/Rogue 1/Swashbuckler 3 --> Progress to Next Level

Name: Sarell of the Black Scales (Paladin of Tyranny 2) --> Progress to Next Level


No levelups, but XP is still XP.