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

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Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Jan 30, 2021 at 1:28 AM, finished with 113 posts and 15 votes.
  • [X] Accept and welcome Pol Ning and entourage, as honored guests.
    -[X] The last unspoken agreement between you and Yi Ti was not to weigh in at all about that little civil war of theirs, due to your having brought in enough firepower to lay waste to a kingdom without so much as a 'by your leave'. That does include not even blinking when some foreign guests from that region want to 'show the colors' in another court outside their borders.
    --[X] It also doesn't mean that you have to acknowledge Pol Qo at all--which you won't. As far as the public knows, you have your own issue with usurpers.
    ---[X] With that in mind, seeing as there would be little point in a formal audience, and you don't have any interest in giving them a public platform to state their claims, you will only imply an openness to an informal audience if they simply wanted to communicate with you about something.
    ----[X] You're dubious if they ever had any intention other than simply piggybacking off this event to gain some form of increased legitimacy, and you are interested in questioning why Pol Qo thought he could try again when you made it pretty blatantly clear you weren't open to playing games like that.
    -----[X] Otherwise, they might as well just come as observers of a historic event. Which, you know, might be relevant if they win that civil war. But you're not banking on it.
    [X] Reject them
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Part MMMDCCXXIII: When It Rains
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    • When It Rains ​

    Twenty-Fifth Day of the Fourth Month 294 AC

    The tall, foreboding walls of Westhaven, with its batteries barred against any foe that might come by land or sea, serve in one way as the ideal place to meet the delegation from Trader Town. It is an unmistakable reminder of the arcane strength you brought against the Golden Company and your pledge not to interfere in the internecine battles of that realm. Thus you make no move to acknowledge Pol Qo, instead smoothly moving from questions about the journey and what they might have glimpsed of your realm along the way, to an invitation to the palace, where they will be accommodated in high state, but not so high as to imply anything more than graciousness for visitors who had traveled far to wish you well on the day of your coronation.

    Pol Ning takes your reply with a sort of resigned acceptance, but not all are as philosophical about the matter.

    "It is good for those who are brothers in the gaze of the Heavens to see to each others works. Better still to share words of wisdom in the face of a world grown dark with the miasmas of folly," a man in silk braided in the colors of dawn replies. Introduced as Bai Da, you suspect he is the most skilled sorcerer among the delegation from the way the wind bends to his thoughts without motion or word. Ning's keeper, most likely. Air can feed fire, but it can also snuff it out.

    "There is much in the world that needs to be remedied by any hands set to the task," you reply courteously, but not giving an inch more. Quite apart from the fact that you do not like the self-styled Orange Emperor, you also have no time to play these games, your eyes fixed not east but west.

    Once they had been escorted to the Deep, you make a mental note to ensure the inquisitors assigned to your new guests are experienced and at least somewhat familiar with the powers that the higher circles of spellcraft grant one. Definitely erinyes as watchers. Perhaps even Garin's personal attention would not go amiss. You can think of many ways they might attempt to profit from the presence of so many powerful individuals both among your subjects and other visitors, and none of them are things you would like to cast a shadow on the day.

    As though timed to correspond with the arrival of the Trader Town delegation, which it may well have been given that not all of them are proof from divination, you also receive a message from the embassy in Yin, word of a far larger delegation almost two hundred strong, from court eunuchs and an honor guard, to a pair of Emerald Magistrates. Judging by the size of their baggage train, you estimate the sheer volume of coronation gifts could fill the hold of a mid-sized galleon, though of course such are to be delivered in person on the day rather than revealed beforehand.

    "They want to open a gate to Yin?" Dany asks, startled when Hua Fen reaches the relevant part of the message.

    Already somewhat accustomed to your sister's short patience with decorum in a private audience, though not wholly comfortable with it, the young envoy replies, "They name it the Pearl Bridge, but from what I understand of the work of the honorable Wu Jen, that would not be a poor way to name it, Highness. It is old magic, and even in olden days little used, for the Golden Empire had few interests beyond the Four Pillars of the Realm and those which it did were not urgent, but in this instance it was counted safest for the delegation to pass by magic and not by sea, lest wind, storm, or fouler things work their malice upon it."

    You could hardly refuse them at this point without insult, though the prospect of having the representatives of warring factions in your city, in your court, does not fill you with joy.

    How do you greet the envoys from Yin and what precautions do you put in place to watch both of the Yi Tish factions?

    [] Write in

    OOC: Coronation gifts are traditional practically everywhere so expect a lot of delegations around for this.
     
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    • I'm glad to see the Gate item remain canon in some form. Now that's the sort of magic access I expect from Yi-Ti!

    Incidentally, if they start a fight right here on our doorstep then I'll bet my current savings that the thread will get annoyed and start discussing military intervention and/or long-term invasion plans.
     
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    Acolyte said:
    I doubt they are going to start a fight. The azure emporor is smart.
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    You only need one misunderstanding and a little haste to start an incident.

    This was going to be "you only need one fool," but I concluded that when you have two warring factions in Close proximity, its not really foolishness to assume they mean you harm and prepare mentally for it.
     
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    Acolyte said:
    It would also take a lot of stupidity. They know we are very very trigger happy, if you mess with us. I doubt either side wants to risk our wrath.
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    They probably don't think we'd harm envoys and guests. Indeed, I'd vote against it.
    However they also know that starting a fight now would be very rude, so I don't expect them to do so.

    Still, let's avoid excessive interaction between them.
    I'm still thinking about making an actual plan, but in the broad strokes I think that we should straight-up tell each group that the other one is here + ask them to avoid each other. We should also warn their Inquisition watchers.
    I also think that the Orange crowd shouldn't have devils watching them. It's one thing to hear rumours of devils in our service, it's another to have devils stealthily watching you constantly. I'd understand if one of them took potshots at the devils instead of asking questions first, and I'd prefer to avoid that.
     
    If someone starts a fight I say we take advantage of their weird sense of honor and Shame them in some manner.

    They start a fight like a drunken fool to deep in his cups? They will be Treated like a drunken fool to deep in their cups legally with a very nice public punishment.... Perhaps the stocks then send them back with a magical note on their forehead detailing their actions and the punishment we gave
     
    Guys think less brawl and more spy games. They are here under your protection and guest right (they don't have a precise analogue to the Westerosi tradition but the sanctity of one's host-guest relationship is clear) so it's unlikely they will be blatant about any conflict.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    As though timed to correspond with the arrival of the Trader Town delegation, which it may well have been given that none all of them are proof from divination, you also receive a message from the embassy in Yin, word of a far larger delegation almost two hundred strong, from court eunuchs to an honor guards to a pair of Emerald Magistrates. Judging by the size of their baggage train you estimate the sheer volume of coronation gifts could fill the hold of a mid-sized galleon, though of course such are to be delivered in person on the day rather than revealed beforehand.
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    Got to admit the Azure Emperor knows about proper style!

    The enemy delegation shows up on a handful of sky horses? let me send a 200 strong delegation with a baggage train worth of gifts. That is how you play the game! All the men of the west will remember this in the future.
     
    Too, Gate (9th level) over Communal Phantom Steed (4th), after a Divination to exactly match timing. 'Look at our magical resources and efficient government apparatus' is in full display here, advertising the proper faction to back among Viserys' other varied guests.
     
    Duesal said:
    Oh boy. I just realized we're obligated to play that tit for tat game and match Yi Tish coronation gifts with return gifts.
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    Only if there is one.
    I mean, the Azure Emperor technically is crowned already.

    At most they would make a similar ceremony once the Orange and Yellow Emperors are defeated and I doubt Azure boy can manage that.
     
    Azel said:
    Depends on what they do. If they were egregiously starting actual fights or outright kill each other? Definitely looking dicey for the perpetrator.
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    Actually, what's the position of the OG regarding guests who violate guest right? Are we expected to kick them out and then hunt them down once they're no longer our guests?
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    Actually, what's the position of the OG regarding guests who violate guest right? Are we expected to kick them out and then hunt them down once they're no longer our guests?
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    I'm not sure if guest right covers peace between guests of the same host. It should, but it might not. But I'm pretty sure that breaking laws counts as breaking guest right. So as long as we punish only blatantly illegal stuff, we should be clear.
     
    Azel said:
    I'm not sure if guest right covers peace between guests of the same host. It should, but it might not. But I'm pretty sure that breaking laws counts as breaking guest right. So as long as we punish only blatantly illegal stuff, we should be clear.
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    It does cover peace between guests. The point is that you are setting aside a place under your rooftree where no blood is to be spilled in anger, that would be rather undermined if the people you invited started shanking each other.
     
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