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

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DragonParadox said:
More broadly though it is nice to see a plurality of opinion again. We have been kind of running on autopilot for a while, with a lot of choices being just 'what next' rather than 'what now' and that was mostly down to the lack of a system and the state just sort of running in the background which left Viserys feeling at odds ends. I am kind of struggling with integrating companions into these choices though, just because of how long it would take for any of them to express an oppinion and with many of these people perforce destined for oblivion if not chosen I have decided not to bring in any social interactions of that sort until they are declared ministers. I hope that does not leave the narrative feeling empty though.
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The core problem is that most of our actions are determined either in the turn-vote or in long strategy votes, so that leaves not much room in between to decide much at all. Instead we get a lot of votes on how to do something and those are not very engaging, since most of the time, that just means the poster who has the most trust in a given area will post a vote and a few others nod along.

Edit: I mean, look at all the politics votes lately where people barely said anything at all and just confirmed whatever I cooked up. Or how combat votes a shoe-ins for Goldfish.
 
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I am learning toward Anlyse, but I want to first ask what our plan is for the whole 'Azor Ahai' deal, are we planning on actively working against it or just let it passively be eroded away.

I do wonder what their reactions going to be when the Imperial God is revealed... along with their effects on it.

Either way I think both Anlyse and Veda will be a good choice, and I think both of their negatives can be mitigated by talking to them.
 
[X] Veda of Pentos

Considering that Viserys will reveal the state of heaven to the curia if i understood the plan for the first session correctly, she might change her stance on the god and she can always bee shown Zathir.
 
DragonParadox said:
A Study In Contrasts ​

Eight Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

Although you ponder long the offer of the stone fey, among his folk the most inclined to consider the dictates of law over the whims of his heart, in the end you choose another to head the ministry. Great shall be the works of the Ministry of Public Works, but not always grand. The Imperium need schools and hospitals, roads and bridges alike, one to the other as much and more than it shall need grand buildings of state and prestige to be the wonder of the world. There is a place for such as Nineteen of Three Hundred in your realm, for him and for all his kin, but that place is not in the minister's silk-backed seat where he would likely find much drudgery regardless and little joy in the making.

Of Shad Ibm Mal, it cannot be said he is less strange than one of the fey would have been, but he is more thorough in his manner and more able to learn the ways of the land he now calls home. You have little doubt the azer shall, if only to be rid of the inefficiency of having his words relayed by an interpreter. Thus, you wish him good fortune in familiarizing himself with the tasks that shall be his after his inauguration, then turn your eye towards the next ministry you must fill.

From the building of roads to the building of minds, you think with some pardonable pride at what you have wrought in the Deep and beyond. Beyond the secrets of magic, high or low, your realm has more than any of its neighbors seen to it that the citizens shall not be ignorant of the world or of how their lives may be bettered. As the fields call upon fewer hands each year and magic and mechanism take away with the drudgery of earlier life, so too is there need of more who can do finer and more complex work, and so is there need for men and women to do more than the work of their fathers and mothers if they are to step into a world transformed.

The first step forward for the role is a former maester of the Citadel. Young from the half-chain he had forged and as skilled in languages and finance as he is in teaching, it does not take much of an interview with the man to realize he harbors some resentment for the 'usurpation' of the Citadel and the loss of many of his former colleagues at the hands of Marwyn and Qyburn. Elric understands why it had to fall, of course, else he would not have sought your service years ago, but that does not wholly stop personal animus.

One might almost wish for a touch more resentment and a touch less... faith from the next person on the list. Anlyse of Myr is a woman of great skill in both organizing that which is in her direct purview and delegating that should not be there, a rare skill and an admirable one. Alas, she is also among those faithful of the Red God who believe that you are Azor Ahai, playing some grand test upon their faith and all the world. Presumably as part of that test you have set devils to tempt the faithful, for she clearly thinks little good of them.

Veda of Pentos again shows a marked departure in matters of faith. A former bondswoman who escaped to your realm in the early days, she had made a name for herself as a skilled investigator and a proponent for more education as a means of improving the lot in life of her fellow citizens. Alas, that very outlook has gone a long way to souring her on gods who cannot or will not aid those in most need. Further, among the candidates, she is recommended rather more for her loyalty than experience in matters of organization.

Who do you choose for Minister of Education?

[] Elric of Oldtown
+Pedagogue (Understands well the art of teaching one student or many)
+Skilled in Finance (Having come into a maester's education late from a family of traders, he has some skill at managing money)
+Linguist (Rare is the man outside of your own companions or those similarly endowed with magic who have learned so many tongues so quickly)
-Somewhat Socially Conservative (He is Westerosi and a Reacher at that for all his mercantile roots)
-Mourning Lost Companions (Though he had renounced the Citadel years ago, it is clear he does not see Marwyn's coup with good eyes)

[] Anlyse of Myr
++Brilliant Organizer (Rose to the top of the School Inspectorate for the whole of the Eastern Disputed Lands, starting from nothing on the strength of skill alone and has made it one of the most tightly run organizations of its type in the realm)
+Delegating Skill (Unlike most in her position, she has an eye for people also, knowing who to select and how to motivate them)
-Peculiar Faith (She is one of those R'hllorites convinced that Viserys is Azor Ahai)
-Wary of Hell (Is less inclined than others to allow that dark spirits might be redeemed though Imperial service)

[] Veda of Pentos
+Skilled investigator (Starting off as a investigator for the Lawmen and then the Inquisition, she found a niche working for the office of Education, seeking out sources of internal corruption)
+New Woman (A fervent believer in the Imperium that allowed her to rise above humble birth)
+Ever Forward (Somewhat Socially Liberal, though an adept of gradual change)
-Inexperienced with Finance (Has never been in charge of anything like the resources of an entire Ministry)
-Vocal Non-Theist (Though she admits the Gods are real, she does not think they are worthy of worship)

OOC: Some interesting rolls for this lot, for once they are all human too.
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Made some additional edits to the chapter, DP.
 
Azel said:
That too would pass with the Imperial Deity coming online.
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It should be noted that the Deity is still a way off. It is not going to be an easy path for people like Veda in the meantime. She might for instance seek undeath or some other surety against mortal death.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, I gave you guys undead as options just last update, just be aware that there might be more complications on the horizon, and the same is true of all the other characters. I will do my best to keep the ministers from growing static over the months and years, these are their own people with their own wants and desires and their own path though life or undeath as the case may be.
 
DragonParadox said:
It should be noted that the Deity is still a way off. It is not going to be an easy path for people like Veda in the meantime. She might for instance seek undeath or some other surety against mortal death.

Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, I gave you guys undead as options just last update, just be aware that there might be more complications on the horizon, and the same is true of all the other characters. I will do my best to keep the ministers from growing static over the months and years, these are their own people with their own wants and desires and their own path though life or undeath as the case may be.
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Good pretext to develop Necropolitans...
 
Azel said:
That too would pass with the Imperial Deity coming online.
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I'm sorry to say this, but the crushing existential dread of knowing millions of innocent souls got devoured and/or damned because the forces of evil literally shattered and conquered Heaven eons ago might not be solved by knowledge of the new band-aid. That brings hope that you won't personally suffer, but it's still a nasty way to shatter your world-view.
For one thing, she might pay for a divination on what the fate of her parents' souls were and not be happy with the result.

A thought: Viserys revealing Hellven to everyone is great fun. It's explicitly forbidden knowledge that starts terrible cults and leads sane men to madness (or at least psychological issues like depression). But Viserys tells it to everyone in charge, and then promises that he's working on fixing it. He's basically relying on his cult of personality to reassure everyone that everything is going to be fine. Of course they'll trust him to succeed in rewriting the cosmos and solving issues that Gods haven't been able to fully resolve!
Now that's some energy right there.
 
TalonofAnathrax said:
I'm sorry to say this, but the crushing existential dread of knowing millions of innocent souls got devoured and/or damned because the forces of evil literally shattered and conquered Heaven eons ago might not be solved by knowledge of the new band-aid. That brings hope that you won't personally suffer, but it's still a nasty way to shatter your world-view.
For one thing, she might pay for a divination on what the fate of her parents' souls were and not be happy with the result.
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That's a general problem though that affects theists and nontheists equally. Her personal philosophy only affects her personally.
 
Smartphone said:
Hey as a note Garin's character sheet is missing his mythic rank and the mythic path page does not list it either.
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That's because we got sidetracked and didn't actually vote for it yet. I know @Crake wanted to develop a unique Mythic path for him, but I think we can probably get Garin started, since I the Darkmark mechanic he proposed probably wouldn't be developed as the first path ability.

Here's a preliminary plan for us to get started with and refer back to.

Trickster makes the most sense either for his Path or to act as a base for whatever Crake comes up with. The Surprise Strike is the best choice from the available Trickster Attack, at least for Garin's build and attack style.

There are a few feats that would be good for him, but I don't think any of them give him as much additional power and utility as choosing Dual Path to dip into Archmage for Wild Arcana. Garin doesn't have nearly as many spells on his available lists as most of our other people, but there are still quite a few really good ones that would significantly expand his options in just about any scenario.

As for his first Path ability, I'm a fan of Supreme Stealth and DP has already given his approval to allow it to work against Lifesense. Lifesense is a rare ability even among the Undead, but it's also one that is extremely difficult to circumvent and something we're likely to see more of in the future. It's also the only remaining easy method of detection that could no-sell Garin's stealth abilities. Not a spectacular ability, but one that fits his build very well, IMO. There are other good options here, however, such as Display of Dexterity or Redirect Attention.

[] Garin's First Mythic Rank
-[] Mythic Path: Trickster (Placeholder until Crake finalizes Garin's unique Path)
-[] Mythic Feat: Dual Path (Archmage - Wild Arcana)
-[] Trickster Attack:
--[] Surprise Strike (Ex): As a Swift Action, you can expend one use of mythic power to make a melee attack or ranged attack against a target within 30 feet, in addition to any other attacks you make this round. When you make a surprise strike, the target is considered flat-footed regardless of any class features or abilities it might have, and you add your tier to the attack roll. Damage from this attack bypasses damage reduction.
-[] Path Ability:
--[] Supreme Stealth (Ex): A creature using Lifesense can't automatically detect you, and must succeed at Listen or Spot checks as normal to do so.
 
DragonParadox said:
I think we can vote on the path when the next interlude or part without an obvious vote come along. For now best to focus on the ministries. There are quite a few to do yet.
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For sure. I just wanted to get something up to refer back to when the time is right. No need to try to shoehorn it in with the ministerial appointments.
 
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