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

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Part MDXC: The Cutting Truth
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    • The Cutting Truth ​

    Eleventh Day of the Twelfth Month 292 AC

    "I cannot let you leave this place unharmed, still less merely banish you back whence you came after the harm you almost caused branding me oathbreaker..." You smile but there is nothing of true humor or joy in it. "Consider yourself the victim of thine own success. If you tell me everything you know of your employer and purpose, you may yet live to learn from the experience, lessened though you be... else I will wring whatever use I can from your flesh and soul as the price of your transgression."

    "Cruel thou art, but not without purpose," the bound fiend hisses. With a shiver of revulsion you take care to hide you recognize a compliment usually given by baatezu to budding diabolists. Can I truly call yourself free of the stigma common rumor casts upon me? No fiends have you called, yet many have you bargained with, in circumstances much like this one.

    You shake off the doubts least they distract you from your task and ask sharply: "Yea or nay, dogai? I have not the time to listen to you try to ape a harvester of souls."

    Anger sparks in the thing's ancient baleful gaze. "I agree to thine generous terms, lord."

    "Then speak, and in the tongue my companion also knows," you prompt.

    "The one who called me and bound me to service is a mortal servant of the Open Palm..." the devil begins.

    "Who or what is that?" the changeling asks for the first time since the interrogation had begun. He looks more wearily at you though not all trust is gone.

    "Mammon, Lord of Erebus and Master of the Third Hell. One could rightly call him hell's treasurer and its treasure," you explain. "Tis said his very body is the impossible wealth of the damned. From the mightiest work of sorcerous craftsmanship to the merest copper, all are infused with his greedy spirit and all find themselves back to his halls in time."

    The still bound dogai begins to make an odd hacking sound, like rusty steel scraping against stone... laughing.

    "What amuses you, oh chained one?" you snap.

    "All the prince's names save that one my summoner knew, and so that one forbade me from using them. I feared I would have to lead you with circuitous clues, but truly your lore runs deep lord." The praise holds a barb, all the worst for the fact that you cannot deny it.

    "What else can you tell of your purpose. Which of us did you trail?" the changeling asks, the words beginning with a touch of hesitation but ending with a lordly command.

    "I followed you, false lord, oh liar that knows not himself," the devil replies.

    You freeze. How had you not thought of this? The dogai had known enough to use cold iron to deal the wound.

    What do you do?

    [] Interrupt
    -[] Write in how

    [] Let the devil say his part

    OOC: Well, you got one degree of success again, which means it is going to give you as much information as it can, but not without throwing you a few curve-balls.
     
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    • Well, looks like we're having that conversation with Fake Renly after all.

    But we're structuring it in a way that he believes the "noble" thing to do is to ransom for "his" brother.

    EDIT: Also, confirmation from two distinct sources that Fake Renly had no earthly idea he was fake. Very, very interesting. Makes me wonder how exactly the fey and the devil figured it out. Were they as suspicious as we were upon "Renly's" return?
     
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    Duesal said:
    Well, looks like we're having that conversation with Fake Renly after all.

    But we're structuring it in a way that he believes the "noble" thing to do is to ransom for "his" brother.

    EDIT: Also, confirmation from two distinct sources that Fake Renly had no earthly idea he was fake. Very, very interesting. Makes me wonder how exactly the fey and the devil figured it out. Were they as suspicious as we were upon "Renly's" return?
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    Well the fey said he overheard it from others of his kind, you have no idea about the devils.
     
    Ehh. And I just got hopeful for him becoming a part of more substantial meal for Yss needed for a hard job of lich-seeking.
    But whatever, we're sooo grafting him for this little tidbit.
    How dares he to make us converse with other people when we were going not to for a short while?!
    Too bad we're bound not to murderblender his soul now.
    And yay, totally devilish bargainer Vissy! Azel's going to be sooo proud.
     
    DragonParadox said:
    Well the fey said he overheard it from others of his kind, you have no idea about the devils.
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    Eh, freaking Imps have weekly Communes, and unlike Yss the Lords of Hell aren't so weak that they can't challenge other gods. Any devil could have easily asked pointed questions about Fake Renly the moment any suspicions arose.
     
    [X] Interrupt
    -[X] " "Heed not the words of Devils" they told us, let us not fall for such obvious a diversion."
    -[X] If he presses the issue, we can discuss It later, rest assured that we will inform him of what he needs to know without the ulterior motives of this devil.
    -[X] continue the interrogation.
     
    [X] das_slash

    Lets have the discussion about Renplacement's nature later. For now, we need to know who's summoning devils.
     
    [X] Let the devil say his part

    That talk with Fenly is unavoidable anyway. Let the Devil spill what he knows.

    He is playing into our hands here.
     
    [X] Azel

    Fake Renly was designed to be a perfect lord. When he finds out he's not Renly his world view will be shaken, and he'll be much easier to manipulate. "It's in the interest of your realm to pay the ransom, it's in the interest of your realm to come to us, etc etc."
     
    Takesis said:
    Littlefinger most likely.
    Or Walder Frey.
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    Illyrio Mopatis is also a conniving greedy fucker and if he and Varys are still plotting then furthering the character assassination of the worryingly strong sorcerer would be a solid move for their plans and the potential weakening of Roberts court through the attack on Renly and disrupting the hostage negotiation to retrieve the Kings dutiful and competent brother.

    This seems a bit too hasty for them, Little finger seems the likely schemer.
     
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    [X] Let the devil say his part
    -[X] (To shore up's Renly's resolve): It is going to try to hurt you with its words, cause strife in your heart that it can use to make you suffer. Probably by using the literal truth to deceive you. Whatever it says, I intend* to provide you with honest council on the matter if you would hear it.

    *We can promise to intend, but not promise to do imo, we have no idea what it will say.
     
    [X] Let the devil say his part

    The most awesome thing is that we can even pretend that we didnt know until know if we need to.


    Duesal said:
    I could, but no. It'd be one thing if the brain-melting succeeded, but it's quite another when the devil is undoubtedly going to try to draw some sort of concession for that. Not interested.

    So I take it that's a no to our party members identifying the amulet?
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    You can try after he spills his beans and use brainmelting? We didn't promise to not brainmelt him.
     
    Tomcost said:
    You can try after he spills his beans and use brainmelting? We didn't promise to not brainmelt him.
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    I was under the impression that we tried and failed to brainmelt it, and that's why we're negotiating right now?
    DragonParadox said:
    A dragon's dreadful majesty you wear as a cloak and of shadows you weave a sense of fate and grandeur beside you... and then you vanish from that place, giving the devil time to stew.

    "You really should not scare cousin Renly that much, even if he is a fey imposter," Dany says, startled to see you thus.

    As soon as you explain your true purpose she invests you with a knowing, a shard of stolen lore, a prophecy unsung and yet unshaped that would once have been the gift of Tiamat as well as the gift of tongues that you may speak to the devil in the tongue closest to its nature without being understood by your guest. "Make the thing pine for the comfort of hell," your sister finishes, her gaze mirroring the same rage you had felt when the devil had tried and near-succeeded in blackening your name.
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    DragonParadox said:
    OOC: Well, you got one degrees of success in the intimidation, which is a lot more than most people would get. The rolls were 3 +58 (consolidated bonuses) - 30 (assassin's honor motivation) = 31 vs 17 + 15 (will save) -7 (Cursed) = 25.
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    DragonParadox said:
    Because you did not get enough successes to just make it talk automatically. That would have been 4+. You can of course just give up at this point and designate it for carving up.
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