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

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It goes without saying that eventually Pentos, and even Braavos, will become part of the Empire, but for now, it's not necessarily a bad thing to be entered into a tight military alliance with another Free City.

We go from Sorcerer's Deep + Tyrosh...

...to Sorcerer's Deep + Tyrosh + Braavos + Pentos

And if we time everything properly, as Braavos is conquering Pentos with a bit of help from us, we can seize Lys.

Myr should capitulate quickly after that, possibly with encouragement from the Glassmakers Guild, again with assistance from us.
 
@Azel We need to figure out which land parcel to give to Uthero. From my understanding of things, he doesn't actually want to run a fief, though that doesn't perclude giving him one and having administrators run it. However, what we could do is construct a castle for him near one of the urban centers that will sprout around the land-connection on the Tyroshi side of our bridge-road network.

What I really want to do is get Alysande to retire in exchange for stomping on Braavosi problems on a more permanent basis and get her to be our Disputed Lands governor. That way we could actually make the placement strategic rather than somewhere Uthero's eccentricity ("I KINDA WANNA LIVE IN A MEDIEVAL FORTRESS, IT SOUNDS NEAT!") shouldn't hurt anyone.

Yes I'm implying that those two should just kiss already. :V
 
Crake said:
@Azel We need to figure out which land parcel to give to Uthero. From my understanding of things, he doesn't actually want to run a fief, though that doesn't perclude giving him one and having administrators run it. However, what we could do is construct a castle for him near one of the urban centers that will sprout around the land-connection on the Tyroshi side of our bridge-road network.

What I really want to do is get Alysande to retire in exchange for stomping on Braavosi problems on a more permanent basis and get her to be our Disputed Lands governor. That way we could actually make the placement strategic rather than somewhere Uthero's eccentricity ("I KINDA WANNA LIVE IN A MEDIEVAL FORTRESS, IT SOUNDS NEAT!") shouldn't hurt anyone.

Yes I'm implying that those two should just kiss already. :V
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What Uthero wants is a place where he can ride down from his totally authentic castle (TM) with a barbarian badass name like 'The Utherhold' or 'Shadowtower Keep' and help out his smallfolk laborers from the village in tending the grapes he'll later also help to turn into fine barbaroi wine. He wants an architecturally impressive if hopelessly kirche and tastelessly grand courtyard filled with flags and stands where he can delight onlookers as he tilts against his hysterically laughing braavosi friends in the Real and Exiting Tourney (TM) he's hosting (with a suitably grandiose name like the Tourney of the Ships or The One and Only Tourney). He wants to have a burly veteran Master-At-Arms with a scar or two who calls him Lord and shouts at guards, wards and sons, who beats him and his friends into walking, swollen bruises as they try to learn how to wield these huge barbarian great swords.

Uthero does not want more political power, not exactly. As the Richest Man in Braavos, his words are only below that of the Sealord and the combined might of the Iron Bank. He does not need more power, he doesn't even know what to do with the one he has. He does not want petty intrigue or glorious battles. He does not want an economically productive port in the Disputed Lands that will get him more money in a year than a lifetime's worth of ownership of The Eyrie.

What Uthero wants is basically the Full Westerosi Disney Experience, and I at least intend to deliver it in full: Grand Keep, laughing maidens, scenic countryside, strong wine, and LOTS. OF. FLAGS.
 
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If he wants that kind of thing, he really should be dealing with Fey.
I mean - yes, it's unbelievably stupid to try to get that kind of major life-changing thing out of Fey, but they also have the power to make it happen and may even specifically give him a Disney castle instead of an actual castle that comes with politics and whatnot.
 
I now kind of want to "build" a micro-kingdom like Arendelle from Frozen for him. You know, small "authentic" castle town, disney castle architecture, clock tower, herd of sheep/goats, town full of people with a background in musicals (must be able to hold a tune and know choreography for residency)... basically little to no real economic value, maybe an estate just sufficient and well-managed enough to break even in terms of upkeep.
 
TalonofAnathrax said:
If he wants that kind of thing, he really should be dealing with Fey.
I mean - yes, it's unbelievably stupid to try to get that kind of major life-changing thing out of Fey, but they also have the power to make it happen and may even specifically give him a Disney castle instead of an actual castle that comes with politics and whatnot.
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He could, but designing it for him will be much more fun for us, and with no double meanings bullshit as a bonus. It's basically a personal favor to our friend, and I at least look forward to seeing his reaction when we unveil this little baby (which should cost all of a week of crafting time post conquest).

We should really think of it like a Disney Park, it will be so beyond the call of duty we'll blow his mind. I'm sure we can take a few of our more outrageous ideas for the Imperium Fortress and adapt them to The Grand Keep (tm), I have full faith in the other questers in that, but the Full Westerosi Disney Experience is far more than a castle. We'll design a smallfolk village with all the happiness and hygiene of our Fey competitors, while still retaining genuine westerosi historical accuracy (tm) + none of the uncanny valley fey bullshit. It will need a tavern where hilariously strong but nontheless tasteful ale is served, where dreaming squires to be court comely farm girls and where 'The Bear and the Maiden Fair' is basically stuck on an endless loop in the jukebox authentic westerosi bards playing in the stage. It'll need a grape plantation and a cute distillery built out of white limestone bricks, plus the big windmills of course. Men at arms, a few squires, rustic roads that get the job done without spilling too much dust into the air, and done!

Think prosperous 16th century Provence vineyard plus a huge ass castle that would make King Ludwig proud (AND FILLED WITH A MILLION BILLION BANNERS!). Of course, under the hood the whole thing should be running quite a few gigawatts of magic juice, what with the array of enchantments that keep the weather at a stable, warm, Southern European summer afternoon, the streets clean, the armor shiny, and the crops growing like weed.

The happiness will be real though. No uncanny valley fey brainwashing. All we need is to uproot a couple hundred smallfolk from one of the inevitably razed husks of a village in the Riverlands or the Vale when the War of Variable Number of Kings erupts, and give them the town they never even dreamed of...

Crake said:
@bigbow I knew there was a reason I loved reading your fic. You really know how to deliver a "Westerosi" experience. :V
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Cry with the protagonist or your money back!!!:V:V:V

Crake said:
I now kind of want to "build" a micro-kingdom like Arendelle from Frozen for him. You know, small "authentic" castle town, disney castle architecture, clock tower, herd of sheep/goats, town full of people with a background in musicals (must be able to hold a tune and know choreography for residency)... basically little to no real economic value, maybe an estate just sufficient and well-managed enough to break even in terms of upkeep.
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:ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja::ninja:
 
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Almost forgot: The beautiful, stained glass Sept where he can put a cloak over Alysanne's back and call her m'lady.

There, I said it.:rofl:

Chuck in a Godswood while we're at it, why not.
 
DragonParadox said:
Kindling Hope ​

Sixteenth Day of the Third Month 293 AC

"Harken well, Men of the Night's Watch. Fearful times are upon us all, and in such times duty is heavier than a mountain. By the oaths sworn and the fellowship between you, yours is the highest peak in sight. " As your words ring out over the whistling of the wind, you see fear reflected in almost every face. These men are not heroes of tales. Many had come here to keep away the hangman's noose, or the looming specter of hunger and cold, and even those who sought honor or adventure had long since learned the grim truths of their vigil, the price to be paid in blood, sweat, and tears.

"Some might say that you have only each other for shelter against the coming storm, but that is not the whole of it, is it?" you ask, turning your gaze away from the circle of black-cloaked men to look into the newly carved face of the Heart-Tree: a man neither old nor young, but scarred by a warrior's life amid a cloak of crow's feathers.

"The gods are watching, the world also." As you had half-expected someone in the back gives a derisive snort. "Not the whole world no, but those of us with the foresight to see beyond the ends of our own noses. Do you decry that you are discounted by fools, that you must protect them also because we've all but one world to live in?"

There is bitterness in the denials that follow, there is defiance and there is anger, but also, though they likely realize it not, there is hope at the root of it all. What cause, after all, would there be to shout against the wind if they did not think someone would listen?

"You have not been forgotten," you offer, a promise stripped of artifice. "The North remembers, as do I. Jaehaerys, First of his Name, saw the worth in this hallowed vigil of yours, in a time when you faced only men. Now, when the stakes grow ever higher, I remember also how steep the hill is, how much worse the odds. In this Order, men from every corner of the Seven Kingdoms gather, forsaking kith and kin, lands and titles and wealth for brotherhood, to stand united in the face of darkness."

Spines straighten, eyes look up at you more boldly. Even here there is pride. Thieves some of these men might be, poachers, brigands, murderers, but even such hearts as these are not beyond aspiring to greater things. Who better than you to know that truth after forging a kingdom from their like?

"I cannot command you, and never shall I do, so I can only ask for your trust. Men of the Night's Watch, oaths you have sworn and duty lies before you. Fulfill it with honor in the sight of men and Gods, trusting that others too will aid you in your hour of need."

So saying you cut your palm with a sure and swift motion, smearing the blood onto the roots of the Heart-Tree.

You take 5 damage

A phantom rises from the earth as though wrought of mist and crow's feathers, less than a ghost or specter, an echo of souls long parted from the world. He hands you a blade of ancient bronze, red hot as though the flames of the forge still cling to it. Without a word you plunge it into the frozen earth. Snow hisses as it boils off into a curtain of mist.

The cheers that follow are as thunder fit to shake the Wall.

What do you do next?

[] Speak to Maester Aemon
-[] Write in

[] Recover Mya Stone
-[] Write in

[] Return home

OOC: Hope you guys do not mind the changes to the speech. I tried to keep the original intent while making it a little less blatant, since with a cynical audience like this it's best to draw them out indirectly rather than telling them that ideals matter from the start.
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I see your me reference. Now to go back before my Eldritch glory rips apart your feeble bodies and splits your souls.
 
TalonofAnathrax said:
Fool!
Time is a wheel!
Ages come and pass, and what once was will return to those who think it naught but myth. Posters vanish but will one day be reborn, woven once again into this vast tapestry.
It'll probably be as side characters or redshirts though. You know who else had a dark majesty and eldritch horror, @Wheel of time ? Padan Fain!
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Now there is no end. The wheel will turn my friend.
 
TalonofAnathrax said:
Fool!
Time is a wheel!
Ages come and pass, and what once was will return to those who think it naught but myth. Posters vanish but will one day be reborn, woven once again into this vast tapestry.
It'll probably be as side characters or redshirts though. You know who else had a dark majesty and eldritch horror, @Wheel of time ? Padan Fain!
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You are spreading foolish myths. What has been may never come again.

Look upon the mighty tree that has been felled and tell me, where is his rebirth? Naught but ash remains of him. His shape and beeing only remaining in faded memories, soon to pass from this world entirely.

It is the faded bones of the past upon which we build the future. Burying the last mementos as ambition drives us to ever greater heights.
 
Azel said:
Look upon the mighty tree that has been felled and tell me, where is his rebirth?
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In free space and fallen seeds?

To be reborn and grow again to its former glory in time.

And if one build where it fell those fragile monuments of mankind will fall too in time and make space for the tree that once was and will be again.

It just takes time.
 
Inserted tally
Adhoc vote count started by Massgamer on Jul 2, 2018 at 1:21 AM, finished with 202106 posts and 8 votes.
  • [X] Plan Cultural Offensive
    -[X] Joint military operations:
    --[X] "I'm not denying you the aid you seek, but neither can I give it right now. The magisters in the south sleep uneasily at the thought of dragons in the skies. To stir them now when the peace in Tyrosh is a fragile thing would be not in either of our best interests."
    --[X] "Let us plan for the move and prepare for it, but not yet commit to the details. To see other cities fall would be just the signal for the masters of others to burn this world just to spite us. We should plot further as things develop to make sure that our enemies have no time to react when the blade falls."
    --[X] "In the mean time, I've meant to send some people to Pentos to look for any signs of an infestation and make some contacts. If the Silver Eye can spare the men, we could do so together."
    -[X] Lore Exchange:
    --[X] Finally cash in on the access to the Sealords archives. For every book we copy, he gets one copy from our library in return.
    -[X] Cultural Exchange:
    --[X] Offer to turn the Weirwood behind the Wind House into a full Heart Tree, using any tainted contraband that the Silver Eye has in stock and not yet destroyed.
    --[X] On a more whimsical note, ask if the Sealord would object to a few of the companions (Xor, Kira, Moonsong, Velen, Rhealla (disguised)) giving a performance in Braavos. Their last one in Sorcerers Deep was very well received and they would certainly love to give one here, but their connection to Viserys is hardly a secret to anyone paying attention to such things.
    -[X] Military Exchange:
    --[X] Assuming that a joint investigation into the state of Pentos gets approved, propose an exchange of agents between the Silver Eye and the Inquisition, once the latter is no longer spread so thin with having to eradicate the last remnants of the Tyrosh infestation.
    --[X] Mention the plans to build drydocks in Sorcerers Deep to better service our own fleet and launch our own ships. Braavosi expertise for these docks would be great and in return, we would install any advancements made by magic in the Arsenal at a reasonable fee for the time of the crafters involved. //They get the military tech for free and just pay us for building it. What they don't get is an in into our plans for steel ships.
    --[X] In case they are not already doing so, the Silver Eye could buy cheap +1 gear from SDs smiths. The procurement could be simply coordinated by the ACSEC office.
    -[X] Economic Exchange:
    --[X] Due to some magical farming improvements we are soon going to roll out in the Disputed Lands, there will be a lot of workers that would be available for other businesses. It would be appreciated if he mentioned the opportunities in certain Braavosi circles.
    --[X] Due to our hunger for steel and other metals, we are especially looking for prospectors and mines. There are also some plans in the drawer for magical aids to make such endeavors more productive, so approaching us directly and being willing to settle for a reasonable share of the business we would set up there would probably be more rewarding then keeping the location for themselves.
    --[X] We are planning to build a series of roads and bridges to link the Stepstones and Tyrosh. After some 'reasonable readjustments' to the political landscape, we could expand it towards Braavos.
    -[X] Odds and Ends:
    --[X] Ask for permission to look for dragon-eggs in Braavos. Offer to teach 10 mages in the Scholarium on our own dime in return and two more for every egg we actually manage to turn up.
    --[X] Ask if he knows any regions in the north of Essos that have problems with piracy or who could otherwise profit from the Hunters Moon passing through. //Pretty much offering to stomp a few problems for him and I think Moonsong would appreciate it if we dangle something fancy into her face after her boring patrols.
    -[X] Quid pro Quo:
    --[X] Ask him about the situation in Braavos and what he has been up to lately.
    --[X] How are the Orphne doing?
    --[X] Any super-weapons we should be aware of? Can we borrow them?
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Crake said:
@Azel, I think you're at 999% again.
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You cannot comprehend the level of Tyranny I'm operating at.

Artemis1992 said:
In free space and fallen seeds?

To be reborn and grow again to its former glory in time.

And if one build where it fell those fragile monuments of mankind will fall too in time and make space for the tree that once was and will be again.

It just takes time.
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You claim the seedling is the same as the tree? But does it not derive sustenance from the fallen remains of his predecessor? Do not countless seeds fail to sprout, eaten by the beasts of the forest or rotting in the damp earth? Of those that do sprout, how many die to their bretheren, life and sustenance sapped by their closest kin?

It is the struggle that determines which of the seeds shall succeed it's maker. Countless sniffed out before realizing their potential, only a scant few remaining to claim the spot vacated by the death of their forebearer.

But none of them are the same as it once was. Their roots will grow into the same soil, their branches reach into the same sky, but their shape is unlike anything that came before, marked by the hardships it endured.

Claim the tree as peaceful, but it too stands where others fell to make room for it and just as no two trees ever are the same, so is the new tree not the same as the old.
 
My autocorrect suggests "Lewd Theon" instead of "Lews Therin".
I love it!

And I seriously wonder if he'll ever fuck Moonsong.
 
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