A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
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- 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
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Well okay, lemme slow the roll for a bit here, we don't know that.
Or rather, more pertinent, they might not know that. This discussion could be happening in parallel with other negotiations.
I find it exceedingly unlikely they beat us to the punch here, considering we were the ones who roused them to the news, going by the update.
- Location
- Germany
It's the impression that I'm left with that they can make whatever deal they want to achieve before we can talk with the Azure court about terms of their surrender.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
I'm not too sure it'll matter. The Azure Court has the strongest defenses, overall, right? They can delay, and legitimately do have a not-inconsiderable deterrent toward rash action. Conferring with their allies seems rational when you're being presented with terms that are decidedly unpalatable.
That's another thing, the delegation we sent to the Azure faction is definitely enough to ward off an attack, but what would go into containing a prison's worth of the most vile shitheels even Fey think super-max isn't max enough isn't something we can casually or easily move into position. I do get the impression that the Lady of the court pretty much has to die to release them, so it comes down to if spite outweighs inherent resentment.
Looking at things on the face of it, we can obviously go after the weaker Courts, ones more open to recruitment like the Red remnants, or just straight up attack and kill the Violet faction if they don't like our (admittedly kinda awful, for Dusk Dancer at least) terms, and there wouldn't be time or much deterrent stopping us from doing so. At the very least we can successfully drive the rest back into the Feywild, and while that might seem like a win for the Fey since they can always come back, we are more than willing to try to use Heart Trees to see how "fixed" we can make a planar passage, and then covering both sides with star forts, cannons and enough razor wire to make WWI and II Germany blush.
Point of order might just be telling them that unless she's going to off herself now, eventually her bargaining position will diminish. Not that I doubt she has the courage to do it, just that it seems less likely after our show of force. We are clearly not fucking around. We were not fucking around enough to lob 40,000 HD of demons at a ritual set to kill them all. One that very nearly worked. A 70% success rate, considering what we were up against? And what we might still have up our sleeve?
I mean at this point, I would be willing to believe Viserys could bluff and says he has a solution to the threat of 1,000 gribblies being unleashed all over the Reach and world. Why would he not prepare something for that?
I am honestly tempted to BS 100% at them and just call every bluff. We've effectively already made this into a zero-sum game. We should give them a stiff opening offer, and let them bargain us down to something still heavily slanted in our favor, and just... call every bluff when they threaten to walk out on negotiations.
I mean I have every reason to believe Dusk Dancer would rather die than serve Moonsong, but I am fully prepared to tell her I'll kill her right now if she's so eager, it was actually my second choice, and let her mull that over for a bit.
That's another thing, the delegation we sent to the Azure faction is definitely enough to ward off an attack, but what would go into containing a prison's worth of the most vile shitheels even Fey think super-max isn't max enough isn't something we can casually or easily move into position. I do get the impression that the Lady of the court pretty much has to die to release them, so it comes down to if spite outweighs inherent resentment.
Looking at things on the face of it, we can obviously go after the weaker Courts, ones more open to recruitment like the Red remnants, or just straight up attack and kill the Violet faction if they don't like our (admittedly kinda awful, for Dusk Dancer at least) terms, and there wouldn't be time or much deterrent stopping us from doing so. At the very least we can successfully drive the rest back into the Feywild, and while that might seem like a win for the Fey since they can always come back, we are more than willing to try to use Heart Trees to see how "fixed" we can make a planar passage, and then covering both sides with star forts, cannons and enough razor wire to make WWI and II Germany blush.
Point of order might just be telling them that unless she's going to off herself now, eventually her bargaining position will diminish. Not that I doubt she has the courage to do it, just that it seems less likely after our show of force. We are clearly not fucking around. We were not fucking around enough to lob 40,000 HD of demons at a ritual set to kill them all. One that very nearly worked. A 70% success rate, considering what we were up against? And what we might still have up our sleeve?
I mean at this point, I would be willing to believe Viserys could bluff and says he has a solution to the threat of 1,000 gribblies being unleashed all over the Reach and world. Why would he not prepare something for that?
I am honestly tempted to BS 100% at them and just call every bluff. We've effectively already made this into a zero-sum game. We should give them a stiff opening offer, and let them bargain us down to something still heavily slanted in our favor, and just... call every bluff when they threaten to walk out on negotiations.
I mean I have every reason to believe Dusk Dancer would rather die than serve Moonsong, but I am fully prepared to tell her I'll kill her right now if she's so eager, it was actually my second choice, and let her mull that over for a bit.
That is not the case, what you see in the interlude is what the Tyrells think the situation is no more, no less
- Location
- United States
I fully support any plan that lets us kill Dusk Dancer.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Although of the ones most likely to stall to consider their options, seeing as the Greens are only willing to make a deal in principle but haven't jumped to surrender yet, it seems that's likely to be the case for every Court, but especially the Azure one. They will want to account for survivors and gain a collective bargaining position, and given we don't want that, it seems inevitable that the first broken spoke in the wheel of their plans is that Viserys is moving very fast and not giving them time to regroup. If not for that, it would have been a good plan.
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- Location
- United States
I declare Mace Tyrell the spiritual successor of the classical Skyrim Bandit. Just doesn't know when to quit.
- Location
- Germany
That is greatly reassuring.
Annatar
Lord of Gifts
- Location
- Pittsburgh
- Pronouns
- He/Him/They/Them
By all his Godly might he will see his end of the bargain through. He promised they would die, and so they will die.Hm.
I wonder if Yss feels like an underachiever with his personal poison somehow having been cured, compared to the accomplishments of Burny, Ferry and O'Gee against the courts they attacked.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
Eh, it was a fair bargain. He used his strongest poison. Didn't take.Hm.
I wonder if Yss feels like an underachiever with his personal poison somehow having been cured, compared to the accomplishments of Burny, Ferry and O'Gee against the courts they attacked.
It was a bit of a big ask, anyway.
Are the Tyrells warded from the lower tier divination spells? I ask because I'm curious if it's possible their vassals might try to take a peek behind the curtain and pick up on the shit they've been up to.
It's not that likely, but I find the idea of Mace walking into his office to see his entire desk covered in letters politely asking what the hell he's doing hilarious.
I mean, at this point even casting augury in the reach gets "dragons, gods damned dragons everywhere" as a response. I can't think of any results that wouldn't be alarming enough to trigger a response in any lord capable of having the spells cast for them.
It's not that likely, but I find the idea of Mace walking into his office to see his entire desk covered in letters politely asking what the hell he's doing hilarious.
I mean, at this point even casting augury in the reach gets "dragons, gods damned dragons everywhere" as a response. I can't think of any results that wouldn't be alarming enough to trigger a response in any lord capable of having the spells cast for them.
- Location
- Germany
They Fey got Mace a Mindblank.
Not sure about the rest of the family.
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
We have had more discussion the last few days than any point this week. WTFRU talking about?
egoo
Totally Not Creating Problems Where None Existed
- Location
- Russia
Vote closed.
Interlude CMXLVI: Through Silvered Gates
Through Silvered Gates
Thirteenth Day of the Third Month 294 AC
Never before had such a gathering stood before the Gate of the Seal, a sorcerer of dragon blood, a spy and sage both touched by the grave besides a giant of adamantine standing within the coils of a god's serpent with dragons of shadow wheeling above. Yet it was none of these the Orphne Lord who served as herald for their company struggled to explain, but instead the singer in a simple scholar's robes who seemed content to watch the great True Silver gates swing open without sound.
Chimeric hounds that seemed as much kin to lizard or bird spoke with the tongue of men a challenge: "Why does that seek us? A binding in the deep darkness below the living earth where its taint cannot harm the world? Our Queen can well provide."
"I sense no malice to it, no will to break and twist the substance of the world," another of the hounds opined. "Perhaps we should wait and watch and only then judge."
"Wait and watch here not beyond the Bastion's Wards," the first replied with a snap of his jaws.
Though many of the envoys stiffened in offense at the words spoken to a scholar in good standing and a Companion of the King, and the shadows weighed heavier with Garin's personal offense, Xor raised a hand for peace and spoke in soft and measured tones. "I do not deny my nature, but as you may see of my aura I have worked to ensure no harm comes to the world from my presence. Should that not be enough surety for you and yours then I shall remain here while my companions move on."
The spectator understood more of diplomacy than most assumed to judge from his cheerful disposition and tendency to see the best in people wherever he might be. He knew he was offering himself as a hostage of sorts to guarantee negotiations went well, a weakness Viserys could not afford by the crown upon his brow, but which he could take on at need. There had been too much blood shed already in the contentions of powers and the clash of visions.
The fey guards nodded, Xor's friend Garin sighed knowingly. "Holy Aife, I ask that you keep him company in his vigil."
A company of fey knights emerged through the gates to take up cautious guard beside the spectator and the sea serpent flowing like a river over the verdant land. Other watchers unseen soon emerged to join them, keepers of the crossroads, of the bridges between worlds.
In marched the uncanny company, envoys of the Dragon King.
***
Though Zherys Naethyreon had little love of fey lords from his first encounter with such beings he was forced to admit that the lady of this place was a civilized being, cognizant of her peril to have greeted them so graciously with feat, song and recitation of their deeds so soon after the blow that might have slain her had the wards of this place not withstood the onslaught. Still, he did not miss that they were surrounded by revelers corporeal and ethereal, ready to strike at a moment's notice should they break the fragile peace. Not servile than, that too Zherys could appreciate, though one would not know it from his expression.
"This fete is not meant for us alone," one of the twin-souled myrkdreki hissed over a cup of summer wine. "There are other mortals here, envoys of Highgarden. They seem nervous..." And the dragon seemed amused at the prospect, unsurprisingly.
"Well than let us see what the envoys of the Rose seek," Zherys mused. The irony of being the least intimidating and, for a lack of a better word, most 'human' of present company did not escape him, but if someone was to interrogate their 'fellow citizens' it should probably not be the High Inquisitor or the occasionally impatient Lady Drekelis.
It took the better part of two hours, if hours could be said to pass in such a place, but Zherys succeeded in half persuading and half intimidating the envoys of Highgarden to explain what their business with the Key was to be. "It's part of the pact with the Court of Stars, the only one that can be enacted under these circumstances... the Opening of the Ways."
A part of Zherys was fascinated with the notion of using conceptual dominion over the roads of the Reach to allow the Azure Fey to travel instantly where they willed along them in search of their ancient charge to prevent the influence of the Far Realm. It would also supposedly make the roads safer and swifter in some way for mortals to cross. However, the Lord of Volantis thought it hasty to assume that the Azure Key could even enact this portion of the ritual on her own, and doubly so that it could be done without the mental effects that spurred the Court of Stars' destruction.
On the third hand, or perhaps the first wing, he thought with carefully hidden amusement, they are trying to curry favor with the King in seeking to persuade the Azure Court to swear to him to maintain this lesser land-binding after the conquest.
What advice does Zherys give the Tyrell envoys?
[] Drop the offer, you lack the arcane expertise and the King would not appreciate surprises, particularly given what House Tyrell's last attempt to bargain with the fey did
[] Wait until the King is apprised of the notion and a truce with the Azure Court established. Thank them for their sincerity
[] Write in
OOC: Zherys does not quite have Viserys social skills, but mostly mundane humans, even ones with high grade enchantments, can't really sand up to him in a social challenge.
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- Location
- Germany
[X] Drop the offer, you lack the neutral arcane expertise and the king would not appreciate surprises, particularly given what House Tyrell's last attempt to bargain with fey did.
No. The Tyrells will not weasel themselves into keeping de-facto control of the entire Reach. And they will not let the Fey do planar fuckery to achieve that.
What is wrong with these people!?
No. The Tyrells will not weasel themselves into keeping de-facto control of the entire Reach. And they will not let the Fey do planar fuckery to achieve that.
What is wrong with these people!?
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