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

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Winning Vote
Adhoc vote count started by DragonParadox on Mar 19, 2021 at 11:43 AM, finished with 52 posts and 10 votes.
  • [X] The Imperial Times, Special Coronation Edition!
    -[X] In lieu of an editorial, this edition will include a transcript of Viserys' speech, the one he gave to the entirety of King's Landing upon his triumphant return to Westeros as Imperator of the Imperium.
    --[X] Following the speech, there will be a carefully curated but completely truthful section of personal testimonials given by citizens of King's Landing who heard the speech, explaining the event to readers. They will be from a range of people, low and high born alike.
    -[X] Tales of Unification: This section will highlight the events that occurred on the night Westeros was brought into the Imperium, focusing on the struggles and triumphs of our citizens, the good sense of many Westerosi lords who welcomed our invitations, and the fates of those who rejected them.
    --[X] Pride of place among these accounts will be given to the actions of the Praetorians, who were vital in several important engagements, especially in King's Landing and Casterly Rock.
    --[X] Osyrx and Siduri's discovery of the alliance between the Lannisters and the Formians, and their subsequent rescue of the young Lord Mallister from vile enchantments at significant risk to their own lives will also get special mention.
    -[X] A Tale of Folly and Foolishness: Here we will share an account of Lord Garret Trant's premeditated murder of his entire family, of whom the crew of the Dawnstar were only able to save two, his wife and his youngest daughter.
    --[X] This section will also speak briefly but glowingly of Usizil, an Erinyes sworn to Imperial service and temporary crew member of the Dawnstar. A Devil for longer than Human civilization has existed in Westeros, Usizil chose to sever her ties with Hell and join the Imperium for hopes of a better way, a chance of make a difference. Her latest efforts are remarkable, for she was miraculously able to share a tiny portion of her inherent power with a young Anne Trant, restoring life to a child who had already been shoved over the precipice of death by her hateful father's poison.
    --[X] Usizil's actions will serve as a perfect chance to introduce our new Westerosi citizens to the small number of Devils in Imperial service, primarily the Sisters of Battle but not limited to them. While the forces of Hell are undoubtedly our enemies, not all such forces wish to remain beholden to their ancient, unforgiving masters, and have thus seized upon the opportunity we gave them to forge a better path.
    --[X] The section detailing the exploits of the Imperial Erinyes will feature a full color image occupying half a page. In it, a grotesquely corpulent serpentine monster will be shown grasping a handful of chains, with each link of the chains appearing to glow like molten iron while being formed from nonsense words written in Infernal script. These chains will stretch from the monster's hand to pierce the hearts of a dozen beautiful winged warrior women, each garbed in blackened armor and wielding a bow of blood red flames. A massive Red Dragon, it's scales lined with gold, will be shown tearing these chains asunder with its claws.
    ---[X] There's a time for added context and depth to actions, and the Erinyes could certainly use them. Veterans from warring with Demons of the Pit, the Furies sworn to prosecute the enemies of the Imperator are in themselves firebrands who were able to cast off their own chains to Baator thanks to the potency of the magics wielded by the Imperator and his Companions and specialty crafted rituals which pushed the boundaries of mortal spellcraft. The Furies in turn took this opportunity to help cast of the chains of others shortly thereafter. (Account of the battle against the Brazen Throne and the raiding of an Adamantine convoy goes here, with interviews from some of those slaves freed.)
    ---[X] But it is not just perdition or the more prosaic slavery that they have eschewed, but also abetting the enemies of all life, fighting and shedding blood by the Imperium's legions against ravenous hordes of the unliving. (Accounts of the battle before the walls of Sarnath, and before that Sallosh, with interviews from officers, preferably knights for an extra bit of zing, and regular troops).
    ---[X] Lastly, they have even struck back at their former slaver, slaying and chasing his agents on the mortal plane wherever they might be found, most recently in Westeros. (Go into accounts of devils operating in the Vale, which has had rumors enough of infernal activity thanks to the Faith spreading how they were fighting them--which is true, though less effective at it had Viserys not intervened there multiple times through his agents and allies).
    -[X] A Tale of Horror: The many misdeeds of Tywin Lannister will be detailed here for all to see, from his sending Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch to slay princess Ellia and her children during the sack of King's Landing during the Usuper's War which lead to our exile to Braavos in years past, to his more recent crimes, the binding of the Golden Shields, nearly all of the Lords of the Westerlands, and several others from neighboring regions with invisible chains of sorcery, such that his will became their own, allowing him to control their actions as if they were puppets for him to make dance as he desired.
    -[X] The Imperium Wants You!: The citizens of Westeros have long been denied opportunities to advance and better themselves by the Lords of the land and the lack of resources available to them. With the Unification, this sad state of affairs is no more. In the coming months, citizens will be encouraged to join one of the many fine institutions of Imperial service, from the heroic Legions for those with a martial bent to the sorcerous Scholarium for those with the potential and will to work magic, and everything in between. Education will soon be available for those who wish to learn to read and write and perform arithmetic, to heal the sick, to build and tinker, and all of the other skills and knowledge needed to help our new Westerosi brothers and sisters thrive within the Imperium.
    [X] An additional effort to go along with what we will be trying to accomplish with the Imperial Times.
    -[X] The important part is to counter all the populists coming out of the woodwork going for local and regional Councils, who are running on a platform of 'getting Devils out of Government'.
    -[X] And maybe ensure they're publicly disgraced.
    --[X] The Inquisition can spread a variety of advantageous rumors and spread the appropriate propaganda, but leaning on certain interests to push platforms in the Regional council to justify why Viserys can 'make even devils safe for popular consumption' is ideal. The populists can have their uses, if they're in our pocket.
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Part MMMDCCXXII: From Honor's High Peaks
  • Threadmarks
    • From Honor's High Peaks ​

    First Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

    There is a simple uncomplicated enjoyment in sitting with your companions over a light lunch and plotting out a number for the Imperial Times. In another world you suspect you would have been happy being one of those new 'journalists' the Times is starting to hire. Of course that presumes that someone else had come up with magic presses and the need for a publication spread across two continents.

    Given that you had never heard of the like and even the word had to be stitched together from other older forms meaning 'one who brings the day' you do not think it is likely you would have had the chance. Still, maybe you will submit a few articles as Buttercup eventually so that you do not have to speak always from the height of the throne. Speaking of the throne, ceremony waits for no man, or at least it should not wait. The last thing you want to do is give the impression that you are slothful in taking up the duties of rule. The Seven Kingdoms have seen quite enough of that from the last man to prop himself atop a throne in this keep. Bastard never stood a chance...

    You snort at the thought, the gesture so small even Lya and Dany miss it, though not Ser Richard or your mother. "What are you thinking of?"

    "I think I just got over the last of my hatred for Robert Baratheon, being dead and gone he is not really worth it, and seeing as that same state means he can't make more of a mess of the realm I do not think he deserves it anymore."

    She gives you an odd look, not displeased, more plainly surprised. "Well if you are to forgive a man for usurpation when he is safely dead and gone would be the time to do it..."

    "Have you ever wondered what would have become of us had the Stag been wiser or better counseled?" Dany asks, caught up in your thoughtful mood. "I mean, he could have done much better for himself demanding the surrender of the garrison of Dragonstone while promising our safety. Sure we might have been a threat, but he could have used us to solidify his hold on the throne. Send you to the Citadel or the Watch, marry me off to his heir, assuming he actually got one who was his heir."

    "And a dozen years later somehow deal with the fact that both of you could slip into dragon's skin and had dreams of a broken world," your mother says, her dry tone, so like the one you oft use, drawing a smile from Ser Richard. "I am certain the sort of lords now rotting in the palace dungeons would have taken that fact well."

    Speaking of lords now rotting in your dungeons more of the lords of the Vale than any others are currently taking advantage of those accommodations. House Ruthermont of Red Hill, House Waynwood of Ironoaks, and House Hardyng of Hearthguard were as gracious in the throne room as they had been at the sight of the Moonchaser, though Lady Anya is keen enough to eye to be interested and not a touch perturbed by the sight of the Gemstone Table.

    Lord Aden Arryn of Gulltown makes for a sorry sight, shoulders hunched as though against some unseen blow. Waymar and his knights had found him on the road to the Vale this morning and Tyene had eventually persuaded him that yes the war was lost and the Vale fallen to the dragon banner. Still, all he had done is argue and his keep had not resisted, so he is to be counted if not loyal then at least far short of a full traitor.

    House Wydman and House Elesham are just as inoffensive, their lords clearly the worse for wear from the night unslept. Lords Waxley and Sunderland as well as Lady Egen seem to have had a much better time of refreshing themselves in the guest chambers of the keep, though whether from a lighter conscience or simply a greater skill at keeping their hearts off their sleeve you cannot say for certain... Well, you are almost certain about Sunderland. It would take a mummer skilled enough to make it at the Blue Lotus to give that cheerful a smile without at least partly meaning to.

    Old Lord Hersy who had the excuse of age and sickness to keep him from the Deep and thus is among present company the one most in favor lingers near Lord Lynderly of the Snakewood, grimiest face of all though you cannot say he is not entitled to it given that his wife had chosen to die rather than live under your reign. It says good things about the old man's compassion that he would offer a kind word to Linderly, either that or his strategic calculation. There are few ways as assured to make you fast friends as helping to pull a man from the bottom of a proverbial pit.

    Last to give his oath is Lord Moore, cold without being discourteous, you rather suspect he will not linger at court even if he is invited to. One who would rather lock himself up in his own narrow corner of the world than embrace its changes. Not ideal, but hardly the worst you have seen.

    That leaves the three Houses who are without a doubt traitors made by their own choice and words condemned—Templeton with their lord dead in a duel against Moonsong, Dutton whose keep was shelled and taken by storm, Crayne whose lord had retained just enough sanity to surrender after the outer walls had been breached, and Donninger whose lord had been burned at the hand of R'hllor's champion.

    It is clear many of the lords here hope that the lands of the traitor houses should fall to their heirs from lines that were not so besmirched, though they would likely not raise too many objections over raising up personal favorites. Given that at least some of those lands are going to the folk they call 'wildlings' it would probably be best to explain sooner rather than later and risk expectations being raised. Perhaps you might even being Dalla forth to make a point.

    What do you do with the lands of the traitor houses and what tidings do you bear for the Lords of the Vale?

    [] Rejoice, for there will at last be peace between the Mountain and the Vale, bought not by blood spilled but understanding and oaths made under the gaze of the Old Gods

    [] Imperial Administration will stretch far further than the domain of the kings in the Red Keep had ever done, bringing the wild lands under the plow

    [] Write in

    OOC: This is more of a spin decision than a policy decision, but spin matters in a place like the Vale, do you want to focus on healing the wounds of the past or the fact that you are pacifying more of the lands. No need to decide exactly what you are giving to the Hill Folk yet, though you can if you wish of course.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Imperial Administration will stretch far further than the domain of the kings in the Red Keep had ever done, bringing the wild lands under the plow
     
    [X] Plan Post-War Order - Vale
    -[X] Have Dalla swear to you too. She will now be a noble Lady too, becoming Countess of Northweald. Unless she prefers a different styling. High Speaker as a elected Count-level title or something?
    --[X] Throw a few social buffs on her before that.
    -[X] The traitors keeps and lands are seized and will be kept under Crown authority for the time being. // Bunch of backbencher keeps without location. No idea what to do with those.
    -[X] Spin: The Imperium now rules over the Vale and for the first time since the Andal conquest, that statement is true. No longer will the Vale be at war with itself, no longer will fields be wet with blood year after year. It is time to mend the land the wounds left by the long war, so that all Valemen can prosper.
     
    Last edited:
    DragonParadox said:
    From Honor's High Peaks ​

    First Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

    There is a simple uncomplicated enjoyment in sitting with your companions over a light lunch and plotting out an issue for the Imperial Times. In another world, you suspect you would have been happy being one of those new 'journalists' the Times is starting to hire. Of course, that presumes that someone else had come up with magic presses and the need for a publication spread across two continents.

    Given that you had never heard of the like and even the word had to be stitched together from other older forms meaning 'one who brings the day', you do not think it is likely you would have had the chance. Still, maybe you will eventually submit a few articles as Buttercup so that you do not have to speak always from the height of the throne. Speaking of the throne, ceremony waits for no man, or at least it should not wait. The last thing you want to do is give the impression that you are slothful in taking up the duties of rule. The Seven Kingdoms have seen quite enough of that from the last man to prop himself atop a throne in this keep. Bastard never stood a chance...

    You snort at the thought, the gesture so small even Lya and Dany miss it, though not Ser Richard or your mother. "What are you thinking of?"

    "I think I just got over the last of my hatred for Robert Baratheon. Being dead and gone, he is not really worth it, and seeing as that same state means he can't make more of a mess of the realm, I do not think he deserves it anymore."

    She gives you an odd look, not displeased, more plainly surprised. "Well, if you are to forgive a man for usurpation, when he is safely dead and gone would be the time to do it..."

    "Have you ever wondered what would have become of us had the Stag been wiser or better counseled?" Dany asks, caught up in your thoughtful mood. "I mean, he could have done much better for himself demanding the surrender of the garrison of Dragonstone while promising our safety. Sure, we might have been a threat, but he could have used us to solidify his hold on the throne. Send you to the Citadel or the Watch, marry me off to his heir, assuming he actually got one who was his heir."

    "And a dozen years later somehow deal with the fact that both of you could slip into dragon's skin and had dreams of a broken world," your mother says, her dry tone, so like the one you oft use, drawing a smile from Ser Richard. "I am certain the sort of lords now rotting in the palace dungeons would have taken that fact well."

    Speaking of lords now rotting in your dungeons, more of the lords of the Vale than any others are currently taking advantage of those accommodations. House Ruthermont of Red Hill, House Waynwood of Ironoaks, and House Hardyng of Hearthguard were as gracious in the throne room as they had been at the sight of the Moonchaser, though Lady Anya is keen enough of eye to be interested and not a touch perturbed by the sight of the Gemstone Table.

    Lord Aden Arryn of Gulltown makes for a sorry sight, shoulders hunched as though against some unseen blow. Waymar and his knights had found him on the road to the Vale this morning, and Tyene had eventually persuaded him that yes, the war was lost and the Vale fallen to the dragon banner. Still, all he had done is argue and his keep had not resisted, so he is to be counted, if not loyal then at least far short of a full traitor.

    House Wydman and House Elesham are just as inoffensive, their lords clearly the worse for wear from the night unslept. Lords Waxley and Sunderland, as well as Lady Egen, seem to have had a much better time of refreshing themselves in the guest chambers of the keep, though whether from a lighter conscience or simply a greater skill at keeping their hearts off their sleeve, you cannot say for certain... Well, you are almost certain about Sunderland. It would take a mummer skilled enough to make it at the Blue Lotus to give that cheerful a smile without at least partly meaning to.

    Old Lord Hersy, who had the excuse of age and sickness to keep him from the Deep and thus is among present company the one most in favor, lingers near Lord Lynderly of the Snakewood, grimmest face of all though you cannot say he is not entitled to it given that his wife had chosen to die rather than live under your reign. It says good things about the old man's compassion that he would offer a kind word to Lynderly, either that or his strategic calculation. There are few ways as assured to make you fast friends as helping to pull a man from the bottom of a proverbial pit.

    Last to give his oath is Lord Moore. Cold without being discourteous, you rather suspect he will not linger at court even if he is invited to. One who would rather lock himself up in his own narrow corner of the world than embrace its changes. Not ideal, but hardly the worst you have seen.

    That leaves the three Houses who are without a doubt traitors made by their own choice and words condemned—Templeton, with their lord dead in a duel against Moonsong, Dutton, whose keep was shelled and taken by storm, Crayne, whose lord had retained just enough sanity to surrender after the outer walls had been breached, and Donninger, whose lord had been burned at the hand of R'hllor's champion.

    It is clear many of the lords here hope that the lands of the traitor houses should fall to their heirs from lines that were not so besmirched, though they would likely not raise too many objections over raising up personal favorites. Given that at least some of those lands are going to the folk they call 'wildlings', it would probably be best to explain sooner rather than later and risk expectations being raised. Perhaps you might even being Dalla forth to make a point.

    What do you do with the lands of the traitor houses, and what tidings do you bear for the Lords of the Vale?

    [] Rejoice, for there will at last be peace between the Mountain and the Vale, bought not by blood spilled but understanding and oaths made under the gaze of the Old Gods

    [] Imperial Administration will stretch far further than the domain of the kings in the Red Keep had ever done, bringing the wild lands under the plow

    [] Write in

    OOC: This is more of a spin decision than a policy decision, but spin matters in a place like the Vale, do you want to focus on healing the wounds of the past or the fact that you are pacifying more of the lands. No need to decide exactly what you are giving to the Hill Folk yet, though you can if you wish of course.
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    Made some additional edits to the chapter, DP.

    Woohoo, meetings are done for the day. So damned glad I'm not one of the folks who has 4 hours of meetings every damned day. Once every quarter is more than enough for me.
     
    One small note here, Dalla really does not have what these people would consider to be courtly manners. She will be perfectly polite by her lights, but it might end up causing some kind of a scene to just spring her on the court.
     
    @DragonParadox What is the status of Belmore from Strongsong? Just if I'm not mistaken, it was this house that had connections with the Chosen Blacksmith (by the way, what did the story end there, he was married to the daughter of a lord?). As far as I remember, they were in league with Waynwood, and Belmore itself is described as a strong and powerful house, and yet there was not a word about them during the entire conquest of Westeros.

    Just got off the second Sputnik-V vaccine... hard-boiled stuff, a day's temperature under 38 and two days of non-stop headache.

    [X] Azel
     
    Last edited:
    DragonParadox said:
    One small note here, Dalla really does not have what these people would consider to be courtly manners. She will be perfectly polite by her lights, but it might end up causing some kind of a scene to just spring her on the court.
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    We could slap a Cultural Adaptation spell on her and ask that she try not to be too offensive, for the sake of continued good relations with her new neighbors.
     
    Sapphon said:
    @DragonParadox What is the status of Belmore from Strongsong? Just if I'm not mistaken, it was this house that had connections with the Chosen Blacksmith (by the way, what did the story end there, he was married to the daughter of a lord?). As far as I remember, they were in league with Waynwood, and Belmore itself is described as a strong and powerful house, and yet there was not a word about them during the entire conquest of Westeros.

    Just got off the second Sputnik-V vaccine... hard-boiled stuff, a day's temperature under 38 and two days of non-stop headache.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    He fell into line when the High Septon did.

    Ouch, I did not nice when I took the Pfizer, but nothing that bad.
     
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