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

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Jexx said:
@DragonParadox
Would it be possible to leverage unique resources of Prime (ley lines, rune lore, etc.) to make wardstones cheaper/longer-ranged, or are they fixed as-is in the name of game balance?
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Possible? Yes. Likely? Not Very. Easy? Bahahaha no.
Even then, it'll most likely be an incremental improvement at best, nothing groundbreaking or even anywhere close to that.
 
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Azel said:
Never said it couldn't be done, just that you won't be able to just slap some bunkers down and everything is fine.

Imperial construction and city planning will have to adapt to the threat of heavily armed airborne raiders.
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Nobody's expecting perfection, but having reasonable bunkers at least in Sorcerer's Deep is a must for me. Anything can be breached with enough effort, but I'll take every form of defenses we can get.
 
So we should look into the Brandon's wall even more to learn how to build something like that

My imagination of a bunker is that we can have a ritual to autorepair itself similiar to that of the Wall with forbiddance effects throught it to create secure undercity vaults.
Sorry if my imagination is going overboard but would apppreciate it if someone could improve optimize and add more detailed pointer for the vaults
 
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Part MMMDCCCXXVI: A Purloined Shield
  • Threadmarks
    • A Purloined Shield​

    Twelfth Day of the Ninth Month 294 AC

    Things move swiftly indeed that night, as only necessity may bring about when she harnesses to her chariot the steeds of sorcery. Marshals are summoned to a lantern-lit meeting and the spoils of your heist unveiled. Of all of them, you suspect the Air Marshal best understands the risk you must have taken to claim so many from the vaults of the Brazen Throne, but all of them understand the implications of greater magics and how they might be found out or foiled, the dangers of being perfectly divined. No one who had even made a passing study of your campaign against Tyrosh needs to be told of the implications of translocation for warfare and your Marshals are each in their own way far more learned than that.

    Gerold is mainly concerned with getting Westhaven, Gogossos, Lys, Everfire Dale, and Sorcerer's Deep covered as they are the beating steel hearts of the Imperium's military. "As long as we hold all five of those, at least we have not lost and victory can still be had over any foe beyond them. Everfire Dale can do with the smallest wards while putting the largest ones into the Imperial Palace would cover all of the capital and the Dawn Tree."

    By contrast, Marshal Netzachel is most invested in your original suggestion that you ward as many of your population centers as possible, though there is one other thing he would see guarded before even that, the Wall. "Should it fall, the armies which cast down Heaven will then march out and there might come the undoing of all that is." These grim words he speak as old and painful memories cloud for a moment the light of his eyes and none can deny the wisdom of them. Though it had been suggested to use some of the lesser wards for the Wall, in the end the risk of some daemon's plot or other peril yet unknown slipping through was deemed too great.

    A sigh escapes the lips of the otherwise reserved Vaerios Ghad as he tries another tack for keeping more of the wards for military deployment. "With respect, Majesty, every city under an Uncertainty Ward is one the House of Mirrors cannot see within. We shall be as blind as..."

    "As before the advent of the House of Mirrors and the enemies of the Imperium likewise," Garin interjects. "The Inquisition will manage as we did before the use of large scale divination was formalized."

    "And that raises another advantage of the mobile platform," Hazhak mo Zhoa notes forcefully as few would dare before the Grand Inquisitor, but you did not choose your Marshals to be timid. "We would not constantly blind the eyes of Imperial investigators to the goings on in the largest cities of the realm." A smile flashes bright against coppery skin as he looks towards the archon for confirmation. "It is easier to keep the peace in air force grav-jammers, I would say. Do you not agree, Air Marshall Tirael?"

    "Yes, though there are caveats. Redeployment would count upon the availability of sufficient mages capable of greater translocation magics..." Seeing that Hazhak was about to interrupt, he adds, "And it will also require a refit of all capital vessels to properly protect those wardstones. While we might optimistically be said to have enough archmages, or make due by other means, a lack of proper sanctums is not something we can afford lest we wish to see these stones twice taken."

    "So a mobile deployment will have to wait at least a little while regardless," you nod. "I do not see keeping wardstones in storage as something we can afford when we have so many vulnerabilities, so guarding the cities it shall be, unless... Marshal Benedict, your thoughts?"

    The former maester hums thoughtfully under his breath, the sound likely too low for anyone but you to hear. "Many are yet unripe, Your Majesty, but I shall say this much. It would be unwise to leave many of the major keeps of Westeros without a strong garrison. The lords know little of Wardstones, but they do know what to do if their overlord seems to be in the possession of more keeps then he is minded to hold in strength."

    "Request them for themselves," you finish, not something you had considered, but of course politics does not stop its drum just because the trumpet of military expediency blows. "Is there any other place you would count important to hold onto in Westeros?"

    "In spite of my esteemed colleagues attempts to loot it, the Citadel still holds much that is of worth, not least from the threat from the sea."

    "I shall bear that in mind..." In the end it is only Skagos that truly looses a military base, and cantankerous as the inhabitants might be, they are neither numerous nor influential in the Curia. You will have to speak with Duke Bolton anyway, to make it clear that no slight is meant to the Eithur Fulka.

    • Sets by Coverage:
      • Large (x5): 10 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Sorcerer's Deep (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Volantis (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Braavos (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • King's Landing (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Qarth (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
      • Medium (x11): 5 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Gogossos (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Mantarys (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Lys (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Tyrosh
        • Myr
        • Greyport (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Oldtown (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Westhaven - Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Harrenhal - Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Castle Black - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
      • Small (x8): 2 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Set Used For Study/Training of Enchanters (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward), earmarked for Morosh - Military Base/Legion Use afterward
        • Everfire Dale
        • The Eyrie Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Wall - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Wall - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Arbor - Military Base/Legion Use
        • Bear Isle - Military Base/Legion Use
        • Morrogos - Military Base/Legion Use

    What next?

    [] Write in

    OOC: The plan name was so good I just nabbed it for the update.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • A Purloined Shield​

    Twelfth Day of the Ninth Month 294 AC

    Things move swiftly indeed that night, as only necessity may bring about when she harnesses to her chariot the steeds of sorcery. Marshals are summoned to a lantern-lit meeting and the spoils of your heist unveiled. Of all of them, you suspect the Air Marshal best understands the risk you must have taken to claim so many from the vaults of the Brazen Throne, but all of them understand the implications of greater magics and how they might be found out or foiled, the dangers of being perfectly divined. No one who had even made a passing study of your campaign against Tyrosh needs to be told of the implications of translocation for warfare and your Marshals are each in their own way far more learned than that.

    Gerold is mainly concerned with getting Westhaven, Gogossos, Lys, Everfire Dale, and Sorcerer's Deep covered as they are the beating steel hearts of the Imperium's military. "As long as we hold all five of those, at least we have not lost and victory can still be had over any foe beyond them. Everfire Dale can do with the smallest wards while putting the largest ones into the Imperial Palace would cover all of the capital and the Dawn Tree."

    By contrast, Marshal Netzachel is most invested in your original suggestion that you ward as many of your population centers as possible, though there is one other thing he would see guarded before even that, the Wall. "Should it fall, the armies which cast down Heaven will then march out and there might come the undoing of all that is." These grim words he speak as old and painful memories cloud for a moment the light of his eyes and none can deny the wisdom of them. Though it had been suggested to use some of the lesser wards for the Wall, in the end the risk of some daemon's plot or other peril yet unknown slipping through was deemed too great.

    A sigh escapes the lips of the otherwise reserved Vaerios Ghad as he tries another tack for keeping more of the wards for military deployment. "With respect, Majesty, every city under an Uncertainty Ward is one the House of Mirrors cannot see within. We shall be as blind as..."

    "As before the advent of the House of Mirrors and the enemies of the Imperium likewise," Garin interjects. "The Inquisition will manage as we did before the use of large scale divination was formalized."

    "And that raises another advantage of the mobile platform," Hazhak mo Zhoa notes forcefully as few would dare before the Grand Inquisitor, but you did not choose your Marshals to be timid. "We would not constantly blind the eyes of Imperial investigators to the goings on in the largest cities of the realm." A smile flashes bright against coppery skin as he looks towards the archon for confirmation. "It is easier to keep the peace in air force grav-jammers, I would say. Do you not agree, Air Marshall Tirael?"

    "Yes, though there are caveats. Redeployment would count upon the availability of sufficient mages capable of greater translocation magics..." Seeing that Hazhak was about to interrupt, he adds, "And it will also require a refit of all capital vessels to properly protect those wardstones. While we might optimistically be said to have enough archmages, or make due by other means, a lack of proper sanctums is not something we can afford lest we wish to see these stones twice taken."

    "So a mobile deployment will have to wait at least a little while regardless," you nod. "I do not see keeping wardstones in storage as something we can afford when we have so many vulnerabilities, so guarding the cities it shall be, unless... Marshal Benedict, your thoughts?"

    The former maester hums thoughtfully under his breath, the sound likely too low for anyone but you to hear. "Many are yet unripe, Your Majesty, but I shall say this much. It would be unwise to leave many of the major keeps of Westeros without a strong garrison. The lords know little of Wardstones, but they do know what to do if their overlord seems to be in the possession of more keeps then he is minded to hold in strength."

    "Request them for themselves," you finish, not something you had considered, but of course politics does not stop its drum just because the trumpet of military expediency blows. "Is there any other place you would count important to hold onto in Westeros?"

    "In spite of my esteemed colleagues attempts to loot it, the Citadel still holds much that is of worth, not least from the threat from the sea."

    "I shall bear that in mind..." In the end it is only Skagos that truly looses a military base, and cantankerous as the inhabitants might be, they are neither numerous nor influential in the Curia. You will have to speak with Duke Bolton anyway, to make it clear that no slight is meant to the Eithur Fulka.

    • Sets by Coverage:
      • Large (x5): 10 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Sorcerer's Deep (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Volantis (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Braavos (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • King's Landing (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Qarth (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
      • Medium (x11): 5 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Gogossos (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Mantarys (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Lys (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Tyrosh
        • Myr
        • Greyport (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Oldtown (+50 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Westhaven - Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Harrenhal - Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • Castle Black - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
      • Small (x8): 2 kilometer radius (Dispersal, Uncertainty & Phase Wards)
        • Set Used For Study/Training of Enchanters (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward), earmarked for Morosh - Military Base/Legion Use afterward
        • Everfire Dale
        • The Eyrie Military Base/Legion Use (+20 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Wall - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Wall - Military Base/Legion Use (+100 kilometer Boundary Ward)
        • The Arbor - Military Base/Legion Use
        • Bear Isle - Military Base/Legion Use
        • Morrogos - Military Base/Legion Use

    What next?

    [] Write in

    OOC: The plan name was so good I just nabbed it for the update.
    Made some additional edits to the chapter, @DragonParadox. Glad you used the plan name, it did seem quite fitting. 🤓
     
    In case it is not clear the reason I left things open ended in this meeting was in case you wanted to do anything else with the military deployment before we return to the turn actions.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    In case it is not clear the reason I left things open ended in this meeting was in case you wanted to do anything else with the military deployment before we return to the turn actions.
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    DragonParadox, you stated that the phase wards wont allow non preexisting extradimensional spaces of anykind but our new psionic mages have extradimensional organs right. Would they be affected?

    As for the boundary wardstones what would happen if we attune the old gods to the boundary wardstone i wonder?
    The old gods are a hivemind greendream consisting of really powerful spirits who could use the wardstones to their maximum effect even could be able to detect planar breaches on this side of the world.
     
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    DragonParadox said:
    In case it is not clear the reason I left things open ended in this meeting was in case you wanted to do anything else with the military deployment before we return to the turn actions.
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    Nothing immediately comes to mind, though I wouldn't mind another Richard interlude, perhaps one with him interacting with Mereth after his recent near death experience? Or Garin doing the family man thing and playing with his triplets?

    Or Lya throwing Viserys down on her work table and starting work on inking his new Advanced Tattoo Guardian... ;)
     
    Ouranous said:
    DragonParadox, you stated that the phase wards wont allow non preexisting extradimensional spaces of anykind but our new psionic mages have extradimensional organs right. Would they be affected?

    As for the boundary wardstones what would happen if we attune the old gods to the boundary wardstone i wonder?
    The old gods are a hivemind greendream consisting of really powerful spirits who could use the wardstones to their maximum effect even could be able to detect planar breaches on this side of the world.
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    1. The organs are enough a part of them body and soul that they would not be affected by the ward
    2. The Old Gods do bit have the best sense of moment by moment timing, you are going to need mortal mages. That is also why they plug living greenseers into the network
     
    @DragonParadox, I know that we started getting the warding knowledge of the Shaitans and the Djinn, but I don't think we've gotten the full thing yet. Would that be something on the table in the near future now that the Imperium is gearing up to actually, truly start contributing?
     
    Acolyte said:
    Can't we just key the house of mirrors to the wards to still use divination in our efforts.
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    Well yes and no, you can still use divination spells through the dispersal ward, that is fine, like scrying, but you cannot foresee the future through the uncertainty ward, there is no manual aspect to that one, it just works by amplifying the chaos inherent to all sapient action.

    At least that is my reading of the above, I may be misreading something in the text of the wards I'll have to check in with Azel to be sure. The system is still new to me too
     
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    The house of mirrors should just compensate by doing more modeling and less straight divination of the future. There are a lot of items they already have or could easily acquire - such as the whispers safes or rumormonger crystal balls - that would let them track what the general populace thinks and how it is behaving in an area.

    Once some general baselines are established sudden changes can be used to highlight places for more complete investigations.

    We might even be able to pull this off without more mage power by training up data analysis muggles and having the diviners focus entirely on information gathering.
     
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