Remove ads

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

Reader mode
Remove ads
Part MCCLIV: Blood Soaked Revel
  • Threadmarks
    • Blood Soaked Revel ​

    Twenty-Ninth Day of the Eight Month 292 AC

    You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, the old saying goes. The dregs of the Tyroshi fleet that make their home in Westheaven are alike enough to insects that thrive in corruption to make it particularly apt for them, though sweet wine and sweeter words mixed in with the bitter when the wine is done shall have to substitute for honey.

    Rather than returning to the Deep, you and your companions remain in Westheaven, the better to keep an eye on Azema. It is not so much treachery you fear, for she seems to be enjoying herself while maintaining a healthy respect of your power, but carelessness in the face of impending triumph. The plots of demons often stumble thus. The rooms you take are comfortable enough, the cost barely worth mentioning. Ironically absenting yourself from your fief and its constant calls on your time have seen you progress handily in penning a new code of laws, though there is still a great deal of work ahead of you.

    Meanwhile Tyene has been getting the measure of the town, walking among highborn and low under the cover of a glamor, dragging Waymar along "for protection" she says. You suspect she is more concerned with teaching the young Valeman the darker side of life to take the edge off his inflexible idealism... and perhaps another purpose, though you would not presume to guess the mind of Tyene Sand in such matters. Though she enjoys to shock and startle, to play up the part of the Red Viper's bastard daughter, Tyene is very discreet about the true inclinations of her own heart. Both your friends seem cheerful enough when they return from their walks, so you find no reason to meddle.

    ***​

    At last the hour draws near as the sun begins to set on the day Azema set for the festival. Oak barrels are disgorged from the Admiral's private warehouse to the cheers of freemen. With the wine comes food of a common in abundance: breads and cheeses, sausages and other common though filling fare. The three inns in town open their gates and flute music begins to float through the window, owing more to enthusiasm than skill.

    "Should we go out for a closer look?" Waymar asks from beside you at the window, sounding far less enthused at the notion than most boys of four-and-ten would be.

    "No, I think we can trust the good people of Westheaven to debauch themselves without supervision," you deadpan, drawing a smile from Ser Richard and a snort of laughter from Tyene.

    Waymar nods, relived, then asks, "Azema...?"

    "Has promised not to kill anyone as part of the festivities," you finish. "That is about the best one can expect in truth."

    The four of you keep watch and await the second hour of the morning when you are to give Dany and the pech the signal begin blocking off the harbor... but then at midnight something strange begins to happen: the music coming from the darkened streets changes, growing at once more beautiful and more savage. The beat of the drums is in time with your heart, faster and faster. The voice of the flutes like your breath begins to come in gasps. You want to... No!

    Shaking off the insidious enchantment you look around at your friends, happy to see that none of them has succumbed. Indeed, Ser Richard does not seem to even have noticed, though you can read the same anger and alarm mirrored in Waymar and Tyene's eyes. "Fuck!" the Dornishwoman curses.

    "That seems ill-advised," you quip back automatically. "Something is infesting the revelry below with the power to ensnare minds. I do not think..."

    You are cut off as one of the barrels rolled out into the street in front of your inn begins to burn with leaping flame. The glaring light ofthe fire revels that one of the women dancing in the street is more than she appears. Leaping and dancing with inhuman grace, her mad smile reveals sharp predatory teeth. The dark red stains on her dress are not wine, you know with grim certainty: Maenad, the memories of another life whisper. A harbinger of madness, gluttony, and cannibalism.


    Why... how? The questions circle your mind, but you push them aside. For now they do no matter. You must save the town before it rips itself apart in an orgy of madness and violence.

    What to you do?

    [] Hurry to the Admiral's House. From a cursory look the chaos may have started there

    [] Split up and hunt down the Maenads as quickly as possible, saving as many lives as posibile

    [] Hunt the Maenads as a group

    [] Write in

    OOC: Zagreus is one of the titles of a rather well known Greek god: Dionysus.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Massgamer said:
    Why can't there be a nice god of partying that doesn't involve death and such? Seriously, why does he have servants that do cannibalism?

    That kinda kills the party buzz when someone starts eating other people.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    He's the lord of madness and debauchery. I wouldn't want to go to any of his parties.

    Hmmm... Hey, we should Deep Slumber these things and use them to grow a new Weirwood! :D It's been a while since we had acceptable targets for sacrifice.
     
    Shit. Well, I'm thinking we should hunt them down as a group, just because I'm not totally sure how dangerous it would be to split up. If we go to the admiral's house it'll probably just involve rescuing them--which might have its own benefits? It would lend some legitimacy to our rule...

    Okay so here's what I'm thinking. If we split up, sending one group to save the leaders--and some of them would be useful for afterwards, and the others go and kill these things, we could save people and save our plan.

    Problem is, this would increase the risk.
     
    :facepalm:

    I made the connection to Dionysus, but didn't make the connection to an orgy of blood and violence (I'm going to blame just waking up.). Whelp, time to sweep in and "save" the town. And here is another God we are outlawing.

    We should still give Dany the go ahead for blocking off the harbor.

    I'm inclined to try and "save the people" via hunting maenads and let the existing power structure die at the admiral's house. It's irritating to lose the connections to Tyrosh proper, but it makes the survivors more loyal and accepting of us, and thus more easily integrated into our future guard (for occupying Tyrosh).
     
    Last edited:
    I wonder, is this just a coincidence, a forgotten ritual suddenly empowered by the resurgence of magic all over the world, or did we stumble upon someone's else plot against Westheaven? Maybe this kin of Jacaelar found a faster way than alcoholic excess to get rid of him...
     
    ...Well fuck. Time to start sleeping the sprirt and hope not too many people die? Did us changing the date cause this or is it something that would've happened anyways?
     
    If we find the source of the ritual, perhaps we can hijack it and use it for our goals. Even if it's just to wake up the celebrants.
     
    Guys, this is a lot less bad than it looks. The Maenads are perfect sacrifice candidates. They're servants of an evil god, inhuman, and apparently cannibals. We can capture them and use them for a new weirwood.

    This is the loot for taking Westhaven.
     
    Duesal said:
    Guys, this is a lot less bad than it looks. The Maenads are perfect sacrifice candidates. They're servants of an evil god, inhuman, and apparently cannibals. We can capture them and use them for a new weirwood.

    This is the loot for taking Westhaven.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Don't tell it Azema in exactly these words ...
     
    Hey guys a different idea;

    I think we all agree that holding Westhaven is going to spur the daughters into action and we kinda of lack the forces to police or hold this town (unless we want to personally move there), ...soo how about we just rob liberate it.

    There are 700 grade A future fanatically loyal citizen to take away from here. Hell if this is really the dumping ground of idiot nobility we might even snap up a decent amount of slaves that can read, write and do numbers.

    We conquer the town, then "nice and orderly" we march every slave that wants to leave towards SD. Since keeping slave owners and former slave owner in the same place is just another bloodbath waiting to happen (which will then cause us a heap of pissed noble relatives ).

    edit: goddamn Maenads! this was supposed to be a nice clean takeover. It's a month early you biddies!
     
    Last edited:
    Duesal said:
    Guys, this is a lot less bad than it looks. The Maenads are perfect sacrifice candidates. They're servants of an evil god, inhuman, and apparently cannibals. We can capture them and use them for a new weirwood.

    This is the loot for taking Westhaven.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    MTB said:
    Don't tell it Azema in exactly these words ...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    She's demonic, she know we will not sacrifice her since she's an ally, so why would she care that we are a hypocrite, and will sacrifice beings that resemble her that don't work for us.
     
    tarrangar said:
    She's demonic, she know we will not sacrifice her since she's an ally, so why would she care that we are a hypocrite, and will sacrifice beings that resemble her that don't work for us.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I mean, we sacrificed the Mallor right in front of her and she didn't even flinch. She's fully aware that we consider her an ally and knows that we don't want her dead. I think we'll be fine here.
     
    Duesal said:
    He's the lord of madness and debauchery. I wouldn't want to go to any of his parties.

    Hmmm... Hey, we should Deep Slumber these things and use them to grow a new Weirwood! :D It's been a while since we had acceptable targets for sacrifice.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    [X] Duesal

    We could even grow it in Westhaven to show off to our soon to be subjects.

    Edit: I quitw enjoy Viserys and Azema's thing. One of my favorite moments are when Tyene and Viserys discuss a possible bethrotal and good-looking Alu demons. :rofl:
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Hunt the Maenads as a group. We will try to subdue them if possible, in order to later sacrifice them to Yss or the Old Gods.
    -[X] Give Dany the signal to begin blocking the harbor.
    -[X] Viserys casts Mage Armor on Tyene, Hastes the entire group, uses a scroll to cast Protection from Evil on himself, then takes on LHD form. Use a Ribbon of Disguise to appear human, so as to not further terrify the populace.
     
    Last edited:
    @Goldfish, you don't want to make an effort to capture for sacrifice? We can always abandon the effort if it proves too difficult, but this is a boon I don't want to let slip through our fingers.

    EDIT: Thanks, I'm now satisfied with the plan.

    [X] Goldfish
     
    Last edited:
    [X] Goldfish

    Maybe add something about try to rally anyone still able to think to us? The slaves might be immune or be more resistant to the snares of the Maenads due to not partaking in the revelry, and some might have resisted or will snap out of it when we start killing/subduing Maenads.
     
    Diomedon said:
    [X] Goldfish

    Maybe add something about try to rally anyone still able to think to us? The slaves might be immune or be more resistant to the snares of the Maenads due to not partaking in the revelry, and some might have resisted or will snap out of it when we start killing/subduing Maenads.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    That reminds me, we should reserve a cask of this wine and have Tyene take a look at it. It probably isn't normal wine if the captain's relatives who want him dead sent it as a "gift".
     
    Diomedon said:
    [X] Goldfish

    Maybe add something about try to rally anyone still able to think to us? The slaves might be immune or be more resistant to the snares of the Maenads due to not partaking in the revelry, and some might have resisted or will snap out of it when we start killing/subduing Maenads.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Maenad have some abilities that would make this a bad idea. We want people to flee and hide, out of sight of them, rather try to fight and end up mind whammied.

    Maenad – d20PFSRD
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top