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A Sword Without a Hilt: A Song of Ice and Fire/D&D 3.5 Crossover
- Thread starter DragonParadox
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- a song of ice and fire a sword without a hilt d&d 3.5 dungeons & dragons 100% high octane dragon fuel ave corvidae battle action dragon diplomacy best sister bureaucromancy delicious soul-stuff dragon dreams come true dragon ta'veren greatest uncle hubris is a coward's word in defiance of gods and men mammon's folly mutually assured mage's disjunction qm murderhobo top tier coatl
- Location
- Germany
Shadow of the Doom actually just covers... 600-ish square meters. It's not that much.
Part MMCCCXV: Concord of the Spheres Part Nine
Concord of the Spheres Part Nine
Sixteenth Day of the Fifth Month 293 AC
Sultana Ashadieeyah bint Khalid and Sultan Zafer spend many hours closeted together with members of their delegations, pairing off to speak of their respective spheres of responsibility. Though far from the oddest part of the proceedings, many of your mortal guests comment at the lack of lavish feasts, or indeed any meals at all being served as the genies need no sustenance other than the earth beneath their feat or the wind on their cheek.
You take great care to be discrete with regards to the talks, facilitating though never interfering. More than once the Shaitan representatives call upon Velen's eloquent support in aid of the urgency of standing against the Brazen Throne, while the Djinn trading representatives seem to have found an unlikely ally in Relath in regards to the dangers of excessive tariffs imposed to tributary states. The lack of any real servants, by virtue of the isle's isolation, even sees you and your companions having to deliver books, maps, and on one occasion a game of Cyvasse to an enterprising official who aimed to make his point with the aid of an 'unusual' game of strategy. That the word may as well have been 'quaint' does not bother you as much as it does Malarys and Zherys.
They have, frustrating as it may be to admit it, something of a point. Though you and your companions might be ready to walk the halls of the Opaline Vault and Armun Kelisk, the world is not yet ready in a most frightful manner. You do not fear the black blades of the Shaitans nor the singing arrows of the wind bows of the Djinn, but a far greater peril: trade. Many are the wonders of the spheres beyond this one for men to desire, yet gold or silver are as bent coppers by the roadside and many will suffer for it.
Luckily there is a path to circumvent this hurdle, one Braavos alone of all the realms of men you know has circumvented by virtue of the humble Iron Mark, currency not as the value for which goods are traded, but as the medium by which they are traded.
The prosaically named 'Imperial Mark' for an empire that does not yet exist is born from the trading of near a hundred tons of Efreeti adamantine for stacks upon stacks of Silk Notes and enough Glassteel Scepters to make a dragon's hoard, not that you are considering sleeping on it as your friends suggest more than once.
You have a far better place in mind for a gathering of coin worth more than twice your current treasury: within the vaults of the Iron Bank. As you make the suggestion to 'pin' the three currencies to each other, beginning at a ratio of one to two in favor of your otherworldly partners, you are already considering the implication of offering the Iron Bank the position of representing you: it would give you the use of Braavos' unmatched reputation in such matters and also bind them to you more securely than any fostering, oath, or marriage has ever joined two houses of the Seven Kingdoms.
The plan is not easy to sell, far from it. A three part council of banks in which one of the partners is so much less powerful and wealthy than the others chaffs at genie pride, and not without cause. Were this any other place and you any other princeling making such a request of the Courts of Stone and Sky it would be cast aside without a second thought. Yet here you all stand upon the fabled Realm of Balance, with you wearing the hide of an Archduke of Hell for a cloak. Those coins are certainly worth more than the gold they are seemingly wrought of.
Lost 90.7 tons of Adamantine
Gained 300,000 Glassteel Scepters and 300,000 Windsilk Notes (Monetary Reserve)
Imperial Mark Designs
| Name | Material | Motives | Example Images | Value (IM) |
| Sovereign | Adamantine | Imperial Regalia | - | 100 |
| Dragon | Gold | depiction of a dragon, with rider if apropriate | Viserys and Dany in dragon forms | 50 |
| Realm | Silver | depictions of a larger territory | Set of Islands (Stepstones), grain fields (Disputed Lands) | 10 |
| City | Silver | recognizable structures of a city | Scholars Plaza (Sorcerers Deep), Bleeding Tower (Tyrosh) | 5 |
| Legion | Steel | standart and name of a Legion | Torch with Crossed Swords (1st Legion - Torchbearers) | 1 |
| Faith | Steel | symbol of a religion | Heart Tree (Old Gods), Coiled Serpent (Yss), Nereid (Merling King), etc. | 0.5 |
| Trade | Bronze | depiction of a profession | person working on a anvil, person writing in a book, etc. | 0.1 |
| Tool | Bronze | tools of a profession | plowshare, boat, net, sickle, sword, etc. | 0.05 |
| Groat | Copper | manufactured goods | cloth, metal ingots, glassware, lumber etc. | 0.01 |
| Shilling | Copper | raw materials and natural things | fish, grain, apples, etc. | 0.005 |
| Penny | Copper | raw materials and natural things | fish, grain, apples, etc. | 0.001 |
As you bring the suggestion to Lady Uraka, you cannot hold back a question that had been in your mind since last you met in Braavos: "Years?"
It is the first time you hear the lady laugh out loud. "Well played, Your Grace, but I cannot sell stories of spirits and cities paved with gold to my backers. Perhaps some visits to these realms now that the gates have opened wide would not go amiss."
"How many such visits?" Malarys asks, as indispensable at your side in such cases as Ser Richard is in battle. "These are perilous journeys even for experienced conjurers."
"Eleven," she replies without a hint of hesitation, having obviously long since considered which keyholders she would need to sway on any arcane matters to move the remainder of her faction to action.
To that you readily agree, particularly as she sets no date beyond the necessity of your own plan going forward.
"Good..." She pauses thoughtfully. "It would be considerably easier to sell the notion of our partnership if these exchange offices to be set up in the Opaline Vault and Armun Kelisk be setup under the auspices of the Iron Bank. We are, after all, quite skillful in handling coin of all sorts whether it is wrought of glass, silk, or even stranger things."
"What sort of commission are you considering?" you ask wryly.
"Only a symbolic fee for you, say one part in two hundred," she replies. "After all, you would be providing protection, transportation, and a host of other services. The fee is to be split equally between you and the person making the exchange."
Her point is quite well made, you must admit. Show the bankers streets paved with gold then tell them they can safely have a small share of most trades that comes that way from our world without taking any risk.
What do you reply?
[] Write in
OOC: The rates proposed are 0.5% commission for you and 5% commission from regular traders that may come to use the exchanges. I just wrote them out differently to improve the flow of the text.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I would just use the Pathfinder method for ease of play. Every two Mythic Tiers increases CR by +1.
- Location
- United States
Best Cloak.
I love showing it off.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
I'm sure we can do something about that in a little bit, just cause genies don't have to eat and drink doesn't mean they can't enjoy it.
You don't shit on another man's board game! Besides, we are taking steps to improve what with Dany's own enchanted version.
- Location
- Germany
That seems a bit low-played for the first one, which is a quite significant boost.
Though looking good for the rest.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
A somewhat minor note here as well, although not to take anything from the excellent omake from @Sqweaktoy, is that as a Dragon, Viserys has no obligation to obey the Laws of Magic as set out for mortals. Because in the Dresdenverse, Dragons aren't mortal. I can understand Mab wanting Viserys out of the picture, he's a massively powerful destabilising influence who is immune to scrying. But he's also an Immortal under her knowledge of the metaphysics, and that...makes things difficult.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Not really, IMO. Remember, WBL appropriate gear for a PC only increases their CR by +1. There's no way you could reasonably compare the difference between having that gear or going without, to the relatively minor gains from the first Mythic tier.
At our level, a simple +1 CR increase can lead to much tougher enemies if DP makes level appropriate enemies.
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- Location
- being near locations is my passion.
"What do you reply?"
[ ] "Azel. Azel. Azel."
@DragonParadox the whispers excavation. Has Lord brune triton knowledge skill/mage support?
The fact is that I'm not sure that the excavations isn't a mindflayer... Thing of horribleness, so since we are in a truce where we can't just happily capture and scarifice them, what does Viserys think Lord brune hiring some support from OV/AK with some money Viserys "looses" in his office or infront of brune some other place.
If any mindflayers happen to die... Well, it's not as if that's our fault.
[ ] "Azel. Azel. Azel."
@DragonParadox the whispers excavation. Has Lord brune triton knowledge skill/mage support?
The fact is that I'm not sure that the excavations isn't a mindflayer... Thing of horribleness, so since we are in a truce where we can't just happily capture and scarifice them, what does Viserys think Lord brune hiring some support from OV/AK with some money Viserys "looses" in his office or infront of brune some other place.
If any mindflayers happen to die... Well, it's not as if that's our fault.
- Location
- United States
The big thing I was worried about is the information I wasn't conveying in a straightforward manner. I believe a story is better by implying then telling, but it can fall flat when you're being too subtle and the readers simply miss it. Several keys points that I wanted to make clear but also couldn't be directly revealed through narration from Benjicot's perspective due to his character:
- Ser Benjicot has very little sense of self-worth. This has been the case all his life, due to his upbringing as 'technically nobility', his shitty parents, and simple personality. Becoming a knight was his earliest cause, and he flung everything he had into it, and almost certainly the only reason he survived the Charge was his horse being taken out from under him. At that point he survived by fighting in the mud and blood like a feral animal, completely surrounded and literally down to his fists by the time Maelys fell and the GC broke. Hence, the 'Brown', as he was absolutely coated by the end and refused to take a more impressive name since he failed to make it to the end.
- On that note, Benjicot is actually an extremely capable combatant. He doesn't ever acknowledge it, but there's a reason he was able to wander around for years as a broke, aging hedge knight and survive. Not quite Legendary levels, which was 'not good enough' in his eyes, but at his best he could give Jaime Lannister a run for his money.
- 80% of the reason he's so dedicated to the Targaryens is due to King Jaeherys II. At this point in time the man was flat out dying, but he made an effort to get out and see the men in the aftermath of the war. He obviously went to honor Ser Barristan, and heard about Benjicot as a side note. Ben was trying to refuse knighthood, as in his mind he had failed by not making it to Maelys and thus didn't deserve to be rewarded. Jaeherys, using his invested royal authority, declared that total bullshit and told Benjicot to his face that the boy had gone above and beyond the call of duty and more than deserved to be honored, personally laid the sword on his shoulders, and was the one to get Ser Benjicot a fief of his own. This was literally the best moment in Benjicot's life - being told by a king in the flesh that he had done good and being given his life's dream and more. He's of course rationalized this to fit his mentality, but in his head he owes everything good that's ever happened to him to the Targaryens.
- His boys were the exception to the rule, as they were inarguably something Benjicot had raised, and the best things in his life. He was incredibly proud of them, and then by extension he was able to have pride in himself. They were also very literally boys when they died. Both of them donned their armor and weapons nonetheless, both of them rode out, and both of them died like the twelve-year-old boys they were up against hardened killers twice their age. Benjicot refuses to grieve or weep for them, because in his eyes doing so would strip whatever meaning their deaths had - they were good, brave boys, and he is so very, very proud of them.
- This should go without saying, but Benjicot lost everything in the Rebellion. All of the support pillars of his psyche were kicked from under him, and I'm not joking that the only reason he didn't commit suicide was through the power of Hate. Half at the rebels - he in particular wants the Tully brothers to die like pigs in hell - and half at himself. Benjicot, however irrationally, views the loss of the war as something personally his fault, and sees the existence as a poor hedge knight as an ironic punishment for a failure to his king like him, and himself unfit for the release of death until he's redeemed himself. I wanted to give the implication that Benjicot literally forcing himself from death was less a traditionally heroic moment and more because he was too ashamed to meet his idols, all these famous knights, kings, and above all his sons, in death like that. And Bloodraven was all too happy to give this a direction - it wasn't a coincidence that the first thing he ran into was news that he still had a cause, still possesed a purpose.
- Location
- Behind a keyboard
But Artemis was arguing that there's a disparity between the first Mythic tier and all subsequent ones. So if you're saying +1 CR is appropriate for the first two, then is it too much for tiers 3 & 4 (and so on)?
Reading Azel's plan was almost as fun as the update. I'm not clear on how to read the exchange rate though. Imperial Marks is the name of the currency, not a denomination. So is 1GGS equal to 2 Imperial Legions?
- Location
- Germany
@DragonParadox, that offer makes no sense.
The IB isn't issuing the currency, so nobody is actually going to the IB for exchange. They are going to Viserys for the exchange with the IB being the intermediate.
So when a trader comes to the and exchanges 10,000 GGS for 20,000 IM, our states accounts get deducted 20,000 IM and get added 10,000 GGS.
They are providing a service in our name.
The IB isn't issuing the currency, so nobody is actually going to the IB for exchange. They are going to Viserys for the exchange with the IB being the intermediate.
So when a trader comes to the and exchanges 10,000 GGS for 20,000 IM, our states accounts get deducted 20,000 IM and get added 10,000 GGS.
They are providing a service in our name.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
No, +1 CR for every two Mythic tiers is pretty well balanced, IMO. Keep in mind that more powerful abilities become available as your tiers increase.
Yes, and what they are proposing is taking a cut for providing said service, as banks do with most transactions
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
[X] Azel
Eleven separate extraplanar visits by Iron Bank representatives seems excessive to me, @DragonParadox. Couldn't we instead make fewer visits with multiple representatives tagging along?
Eleven separate extraplanar visits by Iron Bank representatives seems excessive to me, @DragonParadox. Couldn't we instead make fewer visits with multiple representatives tagging along?
- Location
- Germany
Said cut would be a bit ridiculous for large transactions. That's a total of 5.5% of every trade.
- Location
- Argentina
One thing to consider: the amount money in the economy is likely going to be larger than our first batch of coin, if only because of the creation of money through banks. The moment the Iron Bank lends money to someone who deposits it there, there would be a duplication of that sum, because the ones that deposited it in the first place would be able to retire the currency, and the part that borrowed the money too.
I might be going too far right now, but this is something that, if left unchecked, could crash our economy as the magitech revolution makes modern banking mechanisms work in our economy.
Money multiplier - Wikipedia
I might be going too far right now, but this is something that, if left unchecked, could crash our economy as the magitech revolution makes modern banking mechanisms work in our economy.
Money multiplier - Wikipedia
- Location
- Brazil
To stretch the metaphor to the breaking point, we might be a medium-to-large fish, but we are a Kung-fu fighting one, so it goes a whole lot farther.
This would trigger Deliste silly.
Yep, there it is.
They can get Mithril and Adamantine body upgrades, actually.
*shifty eyes*
Of course not.
Wait, something sounds wrong with that.
ACSEC is already planned to be an interplanar stock exchange.
Seems under-CRed is what Artemis is saying, and he isn't wrong, the first level specially is easily worth +1 CR.
That's the idea. You would make one visit with eleven people
Oh I see. She did not mean for them to be additive. How about 0.5% total of which you pay half and the trader half.
- Location
- United States
- Location
- Argentina
Another thing to consider is that this would be a de facto tax on imports and exports. Which happens to be equal for every actor.
Where is the protectionism? We need to stop them flooding our markets with cheap mass-fabricated shit and make our artisans lose their job!
I feel like a nerd for making economic jokes
Where is the protectionism? We need to stop them flooding our markets with cheap mass-fabricated shit and make our artisans lose their job!
I feel like a nerd for making economic jokes