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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:
New Shoes for a New Road ​

Seventeenth Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

The first day of the proceedings of the Curia's opening dawns bright and busy over the white walls of the palace, but for your first task today at least you have another sort of meeting to see to. The affairs of state do not obviate those of family, though you might count yourself more fortunate than the kings who came before you that the two do not conflict, and the worst you shall have to face today is awkwardness and misunderstanding. Still, you do not at once summon the knight, Bonifer Hasty, with whom you must speak, but instead call your sister to take her council, for she is more likely to know the mind of your mother in this matter and keep you from saying more than you should.

"Oh, she is definitely pining for him and him for her, unless I miss my guess, though I know the man less," Dany says. "Why he does not say something, I cannot guess, but as for mother..." she sighs and there is a mingled note of sadness and exasperation to it. "It is this whole 'ladies do not act first' thing that so many have been saddled with. I swear the Dornish are the sanest people west of the Narrow Sea when it comes to matters of the heart."

"I shall be sure to tell Oberyn that you think so," you reply, adding a touch of levity to the discussion before it can grow too dark.

"It is not his heart that is the trouble there," your sister scoffs, but her eyes are laughing. "Look, I get where it comes from, I'm not blind to the social pressures. If something happens, it is the woman that gets stuck bearing the child, but we have better wards against that than Moon Tea, there is no earthly reason to keep going with these sorts of morals." She says the last word with an edge of weary disgruntlement. "It's like you wear wooden clogs because those are the only shoes around, but even when that changes you keep them because you are used to the splinters."

You almost choke on your tea. "One hopes you did not say that too loudly around mother."

"Of course not, I'm not stupid," your sister replies. "I may have glared at the two of them a time or two wishing they would get on with it. Mother got what I was going for, I'm sure of it. She gave me this 'it's more complicated than you know, Daenerys' look. It is really, really is not. When you have the power, you make the rules. It's only sensible to make those rules so you are not feeling miserable over matters of the heart, when you have found someone to share that joy with."

"And Ser Hasty?" you prompt, not sure you want to hear the answer.

"He just looked sort of worried," she shrugs. "I figured mother would explain what the problem was and that would finally break the dam and get them moving."

"I am assuming that did not go according to plan then?" you prompt. Perhaps you should have been paying more attention, but it had seemed to you that your eye on the matter would do more harm than good.

"No, it did not, and I am all out of ideas save one," she replies. Then with eyes opened wide and ingenious, like a child in some mummer's farce, she asks softly. "Should I call you 'father' now, Ser Hasty?"

For a moment you are caught between sheer horror at the awkwardness that might engender and incredulous laughter. In the end, the laughter wins out. "Let's save that for... never. Yes, never sounds good. I'll talk to him."

"Well, alright then. See that you do, else I shall be saying that," she replies in mock imperiousness.

***​

Ser Bonifer Hasty looks in some ways unchanged from that day more than half a year ago when he had pledged his sword to your service, save that in place of arms and armor he now wears court garb in the purple and white of his House, though if anything, he looks more worried now than when he had first come before the throne to kneel. "There is no elegant way to say this without awkwardness, Ser, so I shall instead strive for clarity," you begin. "It is no business of mine and never has been who my mother chooses to show favor to. I trust her judgement and her wisdom in such matters. I do not give you leave to court her, but only because it is not my place to give or to retract such leave."

The knight all but sways in his place, and you think a feather might be enough to knock him over.

"Would that this be all that was needed, I would be more happy than words could tell, Your Grace," he finally finds his voice, forgetting new courtesies, not that you blame him for it. You do, however, blame him for his next words. "Yet what might be said of the fair queen when it should come to light that the name was placed beside one so low in standing as myself? The rumors were dark enough when there was naught to them but longing, even the captain of the Kingsguard bent his ear to them."
"Rumors?" You shake your head, staring to understand Dany's exasperation. "Ser, I have it on good authority that a year ago there were rumors going about in Westeros that had me using babes for soup stock. I do not imagine such things have been spared my mother's ears, much as I would have wished it otherwise. Now I ask you what to that is the empty tittering of a scandal starved court?"

"I..." he trails off then swallows and forces himself to carry on. "Your Grace, how can I ask her to put her hand in mine when I have nothing to offer but my lance and spear? Life is not some ballad heard in boyhood. When I am old and grey... well older and greyer than I am now, she shall yet be young, kept so by the magic in her songs. Should I then ask her to drag me through the ages like some lodestone of mortality?"

It is then that you realize Bonifer Hasty thinks more of songs and ballads than he himself realizes, his mind filled with forever such that he forgets the day at hand. Your tone grows softer in understanding. "Ser, the world is dark and filled with evil things and tidings may yet be black in the end. To none of us is eternity or even long life guaranteed. Better, I would think, to catch the moment when you can than to look only to the horizon."

Although your words are dark and foreboding, it seems to you as though a great weight was lifted from the knight's shoulders and in his eyes a new light kindled as he bids you farewell. That had been less painful than you might have feared.

What next?

[] Curia opening
-[] Write in any last minute details

[] Write in

OOC: I know the vote is a bit weak, but this really needed a break point.
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Made some additional edits to the chapter, DP.

Poor Bonifer, did Dany inadvertently cockblock the guy when she was giving him and her mom that 'meaningful look'? Rhaella may have correctly interpreted it, but Bonifer might have only seen the young Dragon-spirited daughter of his long time crush, who just happens to be powerful enough to scour cities from existence if she so desires, glaring at him for getting fresh with her mom.
DragonParadox said:
Then with eyes opened wide and ingenious, like a child in some mummer's farce, she asks softly. "Should I call you 'father' now, Ser Hasty?"
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Haha, this was great. :lol: :rofl::lol::rofl:

I can imagine Dany doing that, then immediately having to cast Revivify on Bonifer after she causes him to have a heart attack.
 
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Goldfish said:
Made some additional edits to the chapter, DP.

Poor Bonifer, did Dany inadvertently cockblock the guy when she was giving him and her mom that 'meaningful look'? Rhaella may have correctly interpreted it, but Bonifer might have only seen the young Dragon-spirited daughter of his long time crush, who just happens to be powerful enough to scour cities from existence if she so desires, glaring at him for getting fresh with her mom.
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It's ah... not impossible, though Dany had though if that would happen Rhaella would explain and things would get rolling.
 
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Interlude MLXV: In Open Session
  • Threadmarks
    • In Open Session ​

    Seventeenth Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

    Monford Velaryon, new-made Steward if the Imperial lands, felt unaccountably small in the high halls of the Curia echoing with the sound of many voices, many in tongues he did not himself speak. It was not as he had thought might be the case, the strangest of his fellow members of the Curia who caused him the most anxiety, the one who looked like a pale snake and spoke not with lips he did not have but in his mind, the bullman who had introduced himself as Brax and walked in full armor as was the habit of his strange folk. It was not even seeing one of the Children of the Forest, eyes green like the light in shadowed woods standing behind a table with all the others and papers upon it that seemed to him most strange. No, in the end those were few and odd voices in a great chorus, or as he was starting to suspect might be the case at times, a great cacophony. What had truly never struck Monford before was how vast the realm was and how many its folk trailing off westwards to the edge of Cursed Valyria itself and to the lonely half built ruins by the far northern waters. Maps did not do it justice.

    It was all too easy to get lost in the many strange places and many untrod paths of the Deep and forget that from here was ruled an empire of uncounted souls, ruled in some ways very loosely, as seen by all the odd styling of its lords and ladies from the Sealord of Braavos to the Archonic council of Myr to whatever the hell Vargo Alexi was, a failed king of dubious prophecy mayhap. In other ways the rule was very strong indeed. He could count the number of provincial governors serving at the pleasure of the throne as readily as any of his peers and he could see how the strict division of landed title from all others would keep any from gathering any such power as could challenge the crown. Even the Vox Curiae in their way were a means to give the throne one more leaver on the realm, for many kings before Viserys First of his name, now speaking fair words of fellowship and unity, could before claim that the smallfolk favored them, but what use has the favor of those who were silent... who were voiceless? A lesson from the fall of his great grandfather Aegon perhaps.

    Still, unlike many of his fellow lords Monford was content with the way the power of the new Imperial throne compared to the Iron Throne that was no more, with light heart he rose in acclamation of the changes made to the lands Baratheon had granted and to the matters of succession also and not just, as some sour voices mostly from the Reach and the Vale, had called because his daughter had been given a great boon of land that few younger sons would have hoped for, nor even from the gift of Stromrider, his dragon a warm though still unaccustomed weight upon his shoulder. For the most part he was simply glad that if by some mischance or the stroke of some strange foe he would die on the morrow his lands would go to his son uncontested no matter that he was hardly more than a babe in arms. Monford Velaryon, greatest 'rebel' of the Crownlands until but a few weeks past, was just in this for the lasting prosperity and peace of his lands and of his House and that it was clear to him was wedded to the Imperial Banner tight as any two interests could be.

    What tongue or tongues does Monford hear as the Curia goes about its first full day of activity and governors are named east and west, north and south?

    [] High Valyrian, for it is a subtle tongue much suited to the intricacies of law and rule

    [] Low Valyrian, after the manner of Tyrosh and the Stepstones as the tongue of the city

    [] Low Valyrian and Common, strange it sounds to the ear to have everything spoken twice and slowing the wheels of debate

    [] Write in

    OOC: I cannot believe we have not had this vote before, but now that you have a significant portion of the realm that speaks something other than Low Valyrian I really do need to know what the language of central administration and high formality is. Also, I'm not doing a dragon hatching for him because we have already had so many and I really do not have interesting ideas for that.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Low Valyrian after the manner of Tyrosh and the Stepstones as the tongue of the city

    Westerosi get fucked.

    More seriously, can't we just attach a Tongues effect to the building itself? Say, with Hallow?
     
    [X] Hollow with Tongues effect is our friend, here. No need to attach weight to the preference of language, at least in official matters. No doubt over the years language will shift and change and there will be some preference given in matters of science and magic, and yes, politics, when it comes to what tongue is spoken at court or the halls of learning, but everyone here is supposed to be sharing their voices with no misunderstandings passing between each other for the nuance lost in simile and metaphor.
     
    I once read somwhere that we're going to put every single language under the mortal umbrella into Low Imperials, whilst Draconic is going to be High Imperials.
     
    Still, I think DP wants us to vote on wider language policy and not just this building's operation. I suggest using Hallow to make the Curia ignore language issues, but writing laws in both Low Valyrian and Westerosi Common (by far the two most widely-spoken languages).
    Paperwork forms will probably have to be the same, I suppose. Presumably bureaucrats involved in paperwork from both continents will be expected to be bilingual.
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    I suggest using Hallow to make the Curia ignore language issues, but writing laws in both Low Valyrian and Westerosi Common (by far the two most widely-spoken languages).
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    If it's the matter of formal and informal speech, I can agree on using Common or Low Valyrian interchangeably. But we've used and incorporated so much High Valyrian into Goverment Official Titles and other organizations. It's been so for Centuries. Why should we change it, if it already done its job splendidly?
     
    TalonofAnathrax said:
    Still, I think DP wants us to vote on wider language policy and not just this building's operation. I suggest using Hallow to make the Curia ignore language issues, but writing laws in both Low Valyrian and Westerosi Common (by far the two most widely-spoken languages).
    Paperwork forms will probably have to be the same, I suppose. Presumably bureaucrats involved in paperwork from both continents will be expected to be bilingual.
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    A wider language policy would be nice yeah. I kind of need to know what language those documents are in and there needs to be some constituency for the sake of the functionaries in the very distant places of the realm getting a letter from the center. They are not going to have Tongues.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    A wider language policy would be nice yeah. I kind of need to know what language those documents are in and there needs to be some constituency for the sake of the functionaries in the very distant places of the realm getting a letter from the center. They are not going to have Tongues.
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    Is true tongue for official documents not an option?
     
    [X] Hollow with Tongues effect is our friend, here. No need to attach weight to the preference of language, at least in official matters. No doubt over the years language will shift and change and there will be some preference given in matters of science and magic, and yes, politics, when it comes to what tongue is spoken at court or the halls of learning, but everyone here is supposed to be sharing their voices with no misunderstandings passing between each other for the nuance lost in simile and metaphor.

    [X] For language of written policy, unfortunately you will have to write it in Westerosi Common and Low Valyrian for the sake of disseminating information, and presumably for accuracy's sake you will keep records of those laws, procedures and edicts in Draconic and High Valyrian as well after the fact. Advance education in matters of language is spotty enough in the west that language doesn't often get enough focus even in the nobility, and anyone not a noble would have no opportunity outside of the Citadel to learn it either, unless they spoke with travelers in ports--which mostly account for merchants who have some business with the East or sailors who travel there.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    In Open Session ​

    Seventeenth Day of the Fifth Month 294 AC

    Monford Velaryon, new-made Steward of the Imperial lands, felt unaccountably small in the high halls of the Curia, echoing as it did with the sound of many voices, many in tongues he did not himself speak. It was not, as he had thought might be the case, the strangest of his fellow members of the Curia who caused him the most anxiety, the one who looked like a pale snake and spoke not with lips he did not have but in his mind, the bullman who had introduced himself as Brax and walked in full armor as was the habit of his strange folk. It was not even seeing one of the Children of the Forest, eyes green like the light in shadowed woods, standing behind a table with all the others and papers upon it that seemed to him most strange. No, in the end those were few and odd voices in a great chorus, or as he was starting to suspect might be the case at times, a great cacophony. What had truly never struck Monford before was how vast the realm was, and how many its folk trailing off eastwards to the edge of Cursed Valyria itself and to the lonely half built ruins by the far northern waters. Maps did not do it justice.

    It was all too easy to get lost in the many strange places and many unwalked paths of the Deep, and forget that from here was ruled an empire of uncounted souls, ruled in some ways very loosely, as seen by all the odd styling of its lords and ladies from the Sealord of Braavos to the Archonic council of Myr, to whatever the hell Vargo Alexi was, a failed king of dubious prophecy mayhap. In other ways the rule was very strong indeed. He could count the numbers of provincial governors serving at the pleasure of the throne as readily as any of his peers, and he could see how the strict division of landed title from all others would keep any from gathering any such power as could challenge the crown. Even the Vox Curiae, in their way, were a means to give the throne one more leaver on the realm, for many kings before Viserys, First of his name, now speaking fair words of fellowship and unity, could before claim that the smallfolk favored them, but what use has the favor of those who were silent... who were voiceless? A lesson from the fall of his great grandfather Aegon, perhaps.

    Still, unlike many of his fellow lords, Monford was content with the way the power of the new Imperial throne compared to the Iron Throne that was no more. With light heart, he rose in acclamation of the changes made to the lands Baratheon had granted and to the matters of succession also, and not just, as some sour voices mostly from the Reach and the Vale had called, because his daughter had been given a great boon of land that few younger sons would have hoped for, nor even from the gift of Stromrider, his dragon, a warm though still unaccustomed weight upon his shoulder. For the most part, he was simply glad that if by some mischance or the stroke of some strange foe he would die on the morrow, his lands would go to his sons uncontested, no matter that he was hardly more than a babe in arms. Monford Velaryon, greatest 'rebel' of the Crownlands until but a few weeks past, was just in this for the lasting prosperity and peace of his lands and of his House, and that it was clear to him was wedded to the Imperial Banner tight as any two interests could be.

    What tongue or tongues does Moonford hear as the Curia goes about its first full day of activity and governors are named east and west, north and south?

    [] High Valyrian, for it is a subtle tongue much suited to the intricacies of law and rule

    [] Low Valyrian after the manner of Tyrosh and the Stepstones as the tongue of the city

    [] Low Valyrian and Common, strange it sounds to the ear to have every thing spoken twice slowing the wheels of debate

    [] Write in

    OOC: I cannot believe we have not had this vote before, but now that you have a significant portion of the realm that speaks something other than Low Valyrian I really do need to know what the language of central administration and high formality is. Also I'm not doing a dragon hatching for him because we have already had so many and I really do not have interesting ideas for that. Not yet edited.
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    Here's an edited version of the chapter, DP.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    That would present logistical hurdles. You only have so many printers and so many people trained to use them.
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    Economy of scale says we could eventually solve both of those problems. I mean this is going to be an evolving, transient issue anyway you realize, since language develops organically over time?

    Sauron inventing Black Tongue went nowhere, and I wouldn't personally subscribe to any notion that's just because it was an unpleasant thing to speak for metaphysical reasons, since Infernal is at least structured sensibly to the alien minds of those who prefer it as a first option.

    Which is largely why the thread has been kind of flaccid about this subject, since disparate cultures won't think of language the same way and will make slight modifications at least fitting local vernacular.
     
    Crake said:
    Economy of scale says we could eventually solve both of those problems. I mean this is going to be an evolving, transient issue anyway you realize, since language develops organically over time?

    Sauron inventing Black Tongue went nowhere, and I wouldn't personally subscribe to any notion that's just because it was an unpleasant thing to speak for metaphysical reasons, since Infernal is at least structured sensibly to the alien minds of those who prefer it as a first option.

    Which is largely why the thread has been kind of flaccid about this subject, since disparate cultures won't think of language the same way and will make slight modifications at least fitting local vernacular.
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    Sure, this is not an issue for eternity, but it is an issue now and one I just realized we have to look into before I can write more IC. I need to know how these people are talking to one another and in what way.
     
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    Crake said:
    [X] Hollow with Tongues effect is our friend, here. No need to attach weight to the preference of language, at least in official matters. No doubt over the years language will shift and change and there will be some preference given in matters of science and magic, and yes, politics, when it comes to what tongue is spoken at court or the halls of learning, but everyone here is supposed to be sharing their voices with no misunderstandings passing between each other for the nuance lost in simile and metaphor.

    [X] For language of written policy, unfortunately you will have to write it in Westerosi Common and Low Valyrian for the sake of disseminating information, and presumably for accuracy's sake you will keep records of those laws, procedures and edicts in Draconic and High Valyrian as well after the fact. Advance education in matters of language is spotty enough in the west that language doesn't often get enough focus even in the nobility, and anyone not a noble would have no opportunity outside of the Citadel to learn it either, unless they spoke with travelers in ports--which mostly account for merchants who have some business with the East or sailors who travel there.
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    Can you change Hollow to Hallow so my brain stops itching? Sorry! :oops:

    I feel like we should include a timeframe for integration of a common official language, even if it is never relevant for the quest. For example, we use the various languages for now while keeping duplicate documents in Draconic and High Valyrian, but 20 years from now the official language of the government will be High Valyrian. That's enough time for an entirely new generation of bureaucrats and politicians to be educated, or for those who still have government positions in two decades, they can either learn in the intervening years or save their money up to afford items of Comprehend Language and Tongues.

    [X] Azel
     
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    [X] Plan Wider Policy
    -[X] Put Hallows on the Curia itself so that sessions are aided by a constant Tongues effect.
    -[X] The master copies of laws and other important documents will be written in Truespeech, with these copies superseding the wording in any translation for the purpose of law enforcement and judicial processes.
    -[X] Translations of these documents will be provided to the Imperial administration in Common, Low-Valyrian and any local languages that strongly diverge from those.
    -[X] The Ministries of Information, Education and Administration will actively encourage and propagate the use of loan-words, neologisms and language drift to encourage and direct the fusing of Common and Low Valyrian into a united Imperial language.
     
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