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

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[X] Let him live for now
-[X] Bind him
[X] Storm the house now
-[X] Seek out the 'dungeons', hide the girl in the stable
 
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Part XXXIX: A Vision and a Choice
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    • A Vision and a Choice​

    Sixth Day of the Tenth Month 289 AC

    Ser Richard wraps Veno's bleeding hand rough bandages while also resecuring the ropes. You are not sure hy you wish to spare him, perhaps because by his account he too is a victim of sorts.

    You decide to go at once. At least one of the girls you came to rescue is not beyond help. Ser Richard does not object this time. The surprise must have shown on your face because he comments:

    "This is bigger than a few missing whores. Men losing their minds and wills to darkness, I don't know that much of legends but I don't think this is the sort of thing that sorts itself out."

    There is a small but keenly noticeable part of you that resents Ser Richard for not giving you the excuse to back out or at least delay.

    "So the demons I'll die to steel like the one before?" Ser Richard asks as you approach the house.

    "They die easier to silver from what I recall but steel will to it, just takes more effort"

    "Silver..." the knight's tone is long suffering. "Very discernin' Grumpkins aren't they? How are you even supposed to get silver to hold a proper edge for a sword?"

    You shrug feeling no small amount of frustration yourself. Why is it that these things are happening to you? Fate? Truly horrific luck? Or perhaps magic calling to magic...

    You find the door open creaking on it's hinges. As you did not have Lyra's light spell Ser Richard is carrying a makeshift torch made in the stables.
    The flickering light makes the shadows of the entrance hall dance ominously. Tapestries seem to reach out like living shadows to envelop you, the eyes of the trophies open the walls appear to glow with the embers of malice. Truly this is an accursed place.

    There is a foul voice on the air, it is no formless melody as Veno described but words dripping honeyed poison, a female voice though you can be sure it belongs to no woman: Bide awhile and heed my words and council much have you yet to learn and I hold the wisdom of ages.

    Sooner would I cast myself onto a burning pyre creature, I have seen what your blandishments are worth    , you reply in the silence of your mind.

    So little do you know, a blind child stumbling through life, the Urchin King the Thief King, the Beggar King.     You see yourself a broken maddened shell in some Godsforsaken den of savages spitting poison and clinging to empty honors, you see yourself die crowned with molten gold.

    To ward off you recall a snippet of arcane lore: The future is not set, no man's fate in stone is written. The voice cannot be speaking the truth because in all the world there is no being mighty enough to know the future just a future. So I might have broken, might still break. So too I could have died forgotten and Dany along with me before the magic came. In glory or ruin I refuse to surrender my will onto you, a sorcerer I am and kin to Dragons who are the bones of the earth and the lords of Fire and air. Begone.

    All at once you feel lightheaded and uncertain on your feet but the voice is gone. Ser Richard looks at you with concern. You wave him off. It would not do for him to know that you were almost defeated by a bodyless voice.

    As you reach the door to the sitting room you hear pleading whispers from within, a man's voice: "Why won't you speak with me... I tried... so alone...anything... please."

    As you enter you are greeted by an unexpected and disturbing scene. Ticho is is at the feet of a two foot tall irregularly shaped stone monolith covered in foul symbols. Both his wrists cut he is babbling happily as he dies.

    What do you do:

    [] Rush forward and kill him yourself hopefully ruining the ritual by not allowing him to die by his own hand
    [] Cast charm at him, perhaps your spell could ruin whatever hold the demon has on him my mixing foreign magic in the last crucial moment
    [] Tip over the stone
    -[] Away from Ticho
    -[] Towards Ticho, killing him with it.
    [] Write in

    OOC: Choose wisely
     
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    • [X] Tip over the stone
    -[X] Away from Ticho

    Ruin the ritual with killing the sacrifice else things go bad quickly.
     
    Unelemental said:
    [X] Tip over the stone
    -[X] Away from Ticho

    101 of fucking up rituals: get the sacrifice the fuck away from the idol.
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    [X] Tip over the stone
    -[X] Away from Ticho
    -[] "Sir Richard, defenestrate him before he dies if you can"

    We should also defenestrate him before he dies. so he dies away from the arcane symbols
    I love that word, it means "toss out a window"
     
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    [X] Tip over the stone
    -[X] Away from Ticho
    Sounds good, might be too late but best option, unless it's a trap.

    Will we have to touch the stone? Sounds like something you should do with a stick or sword.
     
    You know, we could just have his wounds trended to real quick like the guy outside.

    That way we can prevent the whole dying thing for the stone and possibly question him later.
     
    [X] Tip over the stone
    -[X] Away from Ticho
    -[x] "Sir Richard, defenestrate him if you would"
     
    Part XL: Truth and Honor
  • Threadmarks
    • Truth and Honor ​

    Sixth Day of the Tenth Month 289 AC

    Exact positioning is important in rituals and this one looks particularly fragile, an act of desperation. you draw your blade not to kill but to use as leverage. You push the stone. down with a resounding crack.

    A piece of the eldritch monolith actually breaks and you can hear the voice in your mind no longer tempting or mocking but filled with impotent rage. You breath a sigh of relief. The dyeing man is no longer happy but sobbing: "Why can't a remember anymore it was the most beautiful... why can't I remember her face, her voice... my love"

    "Because it was a lie and now the darkness is lifted from your eyes at last." You are not certain why you answer, perhaps because even such a man as Ticho became deserves the truth before the end.

    "I gave her everything... my dreams, my honor, my life." His horror only seemed to grow.

    "And all those things she sought by deception." you reply feeling vastly out of your depth for all you were the most knowledgeable one in the room. "Perhaps at the last you can deny her your soul."

    "I need to see the moon" Ticho says his voice a faint whisper.

    "Where is the girl?" you ask, uncertain if it is nobility or cruelty that impels you to bargain at a time like this.

    "Food cupboard... by the kitchen, empty" he replies.

    You only just manage not to kill him then and there as you consider the torment the poor girl must have been put though.

    "Ser Richard, kindly take this outside," you say, your voice sounding strange in your own ears, unwilling to even look at the dying monster on the floor.

    The knight obeys though you can tell he is upset at having to choose between safeguarding your honor and your safety.

    You know you should be cautious, that there may still be demons in the house but you can't bring yourself to act on that caution. You head directly towards the ajar door to the kitchen. You can see a cupboard bared with a heavy wooden beam at the other and of the room. Inside you find an pale emaciated woman, Vanna, looking at you with a frightful lack of understanding for a moment before desperately trying to for words through parched lips. You babble nonsensical reassurances as you go to get a cup of water from a bucket in the corner.

    It is thus Ser Richard finds you. The expected words ever-so-politely scolding you for a fool die on his lips.

    "The bastard's dead an' I hope he rots in hell no matter where he died." is all he says

    The knight carries Vana into what you think was the cook's bed just off the kitchen. Just as he sets her down you hear a crash from the kitchen and feral sounds half way between those of man and beast. Ser Richard is the first through the door though you are only a step behind. it seems the demon has gotten out of the basement.

    A corpse-like creature stands before you, its boated, pale flesh ridden with maggots, its colorless eyes alight with bestial malice. You let fly a bolt from the crossbow you had reloaded before even entering the house. It connects but the demon does not seem at all perturbed by it as it stumbles towards you. Ser Richard however is far more effective. With one great swing of his sword he decapitates the monster. as it dissolves a spray of noxious liquid escapes its boated mass.

    Ser Richard manages to get out of its way in time. You however are not so lucky. As you breath in the foul substance you feel as if your lungs are on fire.

    Lost 4 HP

    Still even though the pain you still feel joy at your victory.

    Quest Complete: Legacy of the Damned. Gained 400 XP
    Bonus objective complete: Save Vana. Gained 125 XP

    ***​

    Ninth Day of the Tenth Month 289 AC

    Both Vana's recovery and yours have gone well though she is still weak and you continue to have a rasping cough. The bodies of Ticho's other unfortunate victims have been given a proper funeral. as have the servants including Veno who has died of his wounds.

    In the house you have found a reasonable amount of valuables which you had no reason not to help yourselves to.keeping in mind Vana's loss of coin to Lysandree's greed you allowed her to take half of what you found:

    Gained three plain silver rings, one gold and jade ring and one plain gold ring
    Gained 25 Iron Marks, 13 Iron Halfmarks.

    There are only a few more decisions to take before leaving this place.

    Do you take the horse (worth 28 Iron Marks):

    [] Yes, you could use all the gold or rather Iron you can get
    [] No, it's too recognizable

    What do you do with the broken demonic monolith

    [] Roll the pieces into the bog
    [] Bury them
    []Write in

    Do you burn down the lodge to cover your tracks.

    [] Yes
    [] No

    OOC: We have a first this update, the first time you actually get hurt. You really should look into getting healing magic for the future.
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Set the pieces on fire while praying to the deity you most believe will listen to you for a general purification. Uncontrolled Demonic incursions are a big deal.
     
    chocolote12 said:
    [X] Set the pieces on fire while praying to the deity you most believe will listen to you for a general purification. Uncontrolled Demonic incursions are a big deal.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Viserys does not really believe in much besides his own power. Partly that is his feeling of abandonment by the Seven and partly it is Draconic pride showing though.

    As seen in his interlude Ser Richard is not one for gods either.
     
    [X] Yes, you could use all the gold or rather Iron you can get
    [X] Bury them
    [X] Yes
     
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