Remove ads

Making Connections

Reader mode
Actually, magic does exist in ASOIAF, and is fairly widely believed in. The problem is that it's so damn rare that even people who should know about it doubt it's existence, and for everyone else it's kind of a myth.

Also, Damascus steel is pretty shitty, compared to normal steel. It has a lot of impurities that weaken the structure. It's the specialized forging process that made it strong enough to use, and sometimes even better than some existing steel. But compared to modern steel, or steel you can make magically? It's just shitty all around.
 
Phant0m5 said:
Also, Damascus steel is pretty shitty, compared to normal steel. It has a lot of impurities that weaken the structure. It's the specialized forging process that made it strong enough to use, and sometimes even better than some existing steel. But compared to modern steel, or steel you can make magically? It's just shitty all around.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Valyrian steel is different, though; it's a legit magical alloy.
 
Remove ads
69
  • Threadmarks
    • "Your royal highness." I said and bowed deeply before the throne.

    Queen Daenerys Targaryen looked almost exactly like I remembered her: long blonde, almost white hair pulled back in some complicated hair style and wearing a white and almost seethrough dress.

    Royalty can get away with a lot on this world it seems.

    ...

    ...Wonder if it would be possible to convince Sheila to wear that at some point?

    Probably not. Ren, on the other hand...

    "Your name?" She asked with a eyebrow raised.

    "I am Clark. Of the Kent family. This is Klara." I answered solemnly, motioning to Ren next to me. "We are members of the Azure Consortium, making a delivery to the local headquarters."

    "You were in a fight against the so-called Sons of the Harpy?"

    I nodded. "They ambushed me and my companion on our way to the marketplace. They wished vengeance against the consortium for supporting your rule, your highness."

    Well, supporting and supporting... she was a major source of local business. Healing potions mostly, but also minor enchanted trinkets.

    Like having the spears of her troops burn anyone they stab. Some minor illusion magic, like a ring that when worn made her eyes glow slightly like those of her proto-drakes.

    Stuff like that, along with some other, more useful things, like waterwheel designs, new ways to grow crops.

    "Witnesses speak of miracles of ice and fire."

    I bowled slightly again. "For the un-initiated many things would be magic and miracles."

    Or in this case, be actual magic.

    Targaryen nodded. "So they would be. However, in this case, I suspect it is more literal than superstition. I have seen members of your organization perform magic in the past."

    "As you say, your highness."

    "No matter how you did it, I would like to thank you for capturing your assailants. Hopefully, they will be able to provide information on their leaders we have been unable to find in the past." Targaryen said and motioned towards us. "Are all members of your organization trained such as yourselves?"

    I considered that for a moment before I answered. "Many are, your highness. However, not all have the same training. Of the ones in your city, only some have the training to do what we can do. The higher levels of training is for those who require it. Such as representatives traveling between the branches."

    "I would like to hire people of your training to supplement my troops."

    Yeah, no.

    "I am afraid, your highness, that that is not a service we provide." I told her with another small bow. "We are not a mercenary company. We sell information, not muscle. However, if it is muscle you are interested in, I am certain we can come to an agreement to amplify your own troops."

    The Queen frowned and glanced at the old guy standing next to her throne before she turned back to us. "In which way?"

    "There are ways to amplify the armor of your troops to make them stronger and faster. There are also potions of the same effect that last for hours, if you wish for an alternative you can replicate yourself. You are also very welcome to purchase instruction materials for magic spells."

    "How much?"

    "In price or in strength?"

    "Both."

    "In strength and speed, half as strong again is easy enough to achieve. As for price, I would recommend you turn your negotiations to the head of the local branch. Klara and I are simply representatives."

    Targaryen nodded slowly again. "We have heard rumors that you are seeking to expand to Westeros."'

    Rumors, huh?

    We knew there were spies in the local branch. One of the cleaners, for one thing, the stableboy as well.

    But that was hardly a secret.

    "We are, your highness. That is a valuable market."

    We had actually had some business from there already. According to the report, one Westerosi merchant traded for how to make purer alcohol. Somebody was going to have a party.

    "I am... not happy about that fact." She said after a moment.

    I bowed once more. "With respect, your highness. You do not have to be. But we are not your subordinates, we expand were the customers are. As the Queen, you are of course completely within your rights to ban us from your lands, but you can not forbid us to expand to others."

    That was a worry, though.

    If she got pissed enough, she might go 'fuck all of this!' and have her troops invade the local branch to steal everything not nailed down.

    Not that it would help much. They would have to get up pretty damn early in the morning to have any chance of catching Halloway, the old SI:7 agent.

    And all the information was stored in a vault with a magical self destruct. If it was not opened right, the entire contents would be incinerated.

    Not that she knew that.

    But what she did know is that if that happened, we would never deal with her or her people again.

    And quite frankly, we were too damn valuable to drive away and she damn well knew that.

    "...What would it cost to convince your organization not to expand to Westeros?"

    "More than we believe anyone can afford, your highness, as it is not mere money that we seek."

    Come up with a way to kill the Old Gods... then we can talk.




    AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • wait..is this another version of westros?
    didnt he meet her already? the whole "you call that a dragon? now THIS is a dragon" scene?
    or was that someone else?
     
    70
  • Threadmarks
    • Sheila had not been happy to have Nalia left to guard her while Ren and I was off to Meereen. We had to find a solution to that problem.

    Crossing my frontlegs, I regarded the elf standing before me wearing a brand new set of plate armor, a thick and heavy shield on her back, her mace hanging from her belt and helmet under her arm.

    There was a major problem here and that was that her personal honor would not allow her to go away and I couldn't force it.

    Not without going to lengths I deemed unacceptable.

    I would not have her memories erased because things were inconvenient.

    "...What am I going to do with you?" I finally asked and shifted my wings in annoyance.

    "I swore to serve you, Atregos. That is what I will do."

    I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, "But I can not have you following me or my consorts around. Nor can I have you staying around the Nexus and having you around Stormwind is a recipe for disaster."

    There was only so much that bracelet could do. Yes, it was very, very effective at making her look half human, but sooner or later something was going to go wrong... and while there were ways to explain her presence away, I really, really didn't want the attention.

    "So what do you propose?" She asked, raising a eyebrow.

    Sighing, I put my head down on my frontpaws, "I don't know. Actually, I have a idea. We have considered expanding Azure Imports to Horde territory. I wish for you to find somebody capable and willing to do that."

    "I am not a merchant, nor do I know where I would even start looking." Nalia answered and shook her head, "I swore to protect you and yours. I can not do that from a continent away."

    Growl.

    "But there are going to be places you can not go with us. Physically can't."

    Nor did I want her too.

    She sighed, "I am... aware." she said before she shook her head, "This is a lot more difficult than I believed it would be."

    Yeah, I bet.

    She thought she was swearing to be the bodyguard of a merchant. Not... this.

    Maybe though...

    Shifting in annoyance, I lifted my head again, regarding the Paladin, "If I... found a way for you to act as our protector while away, would you then take the task?"

    Nalia hesitated but then she nodded, "...That would be acceptable. But how?"

    "You swore to protect me and mine. That include my secrets. This is unknown to the mortal mages." I warned her.

    "So I swore." she confirmed with a nod, "Your secrets are safe."

    Nodding I shifted my wings. Not only mine. This was a Flight secret... even if it also extended to the other Flights as well.

    Letting a non-member know about it... knowledge of even parts of this was rare even amongst the mortal servants of the Flights.

    "There is a special kind of magic." I started to explain, "A way to summon creatures."

    "You would be able to summon me if you are in danger?"

    I shook my head, "No. But if I copied your 'summoning pattern', I would be able to summon a... magic copy of a female elf blood knight paladin with your abilities and equipment. It would not be real, but it would be able to do everything you can."

    "I have never heard of such magic. Wait... like you made that creature on the ship?"

    "That's the way I made it. And yes, very similar." I answered her, "It is a difficult kind of magic. A powerful kind."

    She frowned, "What... effect would it have on me?"

    "None."

    Nalia slowly nodded, "What do I have to do?"

    Channeling some magic, I extended my right frontpaw in her direction, "Simply touch my claw."

    She hesitated but then nodded and stepped forward, putting her gauntlet covered hand on my claw.

    It didn't take much, just a application of will and the right kind of mana.

    I was not surprised that her summoning pattern was white mana. One lands worth wouldn't be enough though, I would require another to supplement it.

    A few seconds later, I dropped my frontpaw back onto the floor as I felt the spell seed settle in place in the back of my mind, ready to use, "It is done."

    Nalia swallowed and nodded, "...Can I see it?"

    "Of course." I chuckled and half closed my eyes, focusing on channeling the correct kind of mana into the spell seed in my mind, allowing the summoning pattern to grow and unfold.

    Completely different than casting normal spells. No weaving of magic into spells. Just... providing power of the right kind and allowing the pattern to form.

    A couple of minutes of carefully controlled channeling, the summon formed in a flash of white light.

    Blood elf, wearing the same kind of polished armor as Nalia, the same kind of build, armed with a mace and a heavy shield.

    A mental command caused her to take off her helmet and shake out her long red hair. She even looked somewhat like Nalia. Like they were cousins or something.

    "This is unreal." Nalia breathed and slowly walked around the summon which watched her in return.

    "It's very real." I said, "She is real in every way that matter but two. She isn't. She is completely incapable of doing anything outside the frame of reference of 'being a paladin'. Nor can she learn anything outside that frame of reference. The second one is that she can be returned to the summoning pattern by a different spell. If killed, she can be resummoned."

    Nalia slowly nodded, "I wish to try it in combat." she finally said and put her helmet on, taking her new shield from her back.

    "Of course." I confirmed with a nod, "Paladin, train with Nalia." I ordered the summon.

    She nodded and put her helmet back on, readying her own weapons, "Yes Master."




    AN// Many thanks to Firethorn for betaing this section.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Hiver said:
    Nalia slowly nodded, "I wish to try it in combat." she finally said and put her helmet on, taking her new shield from her back.

    "Of course." I confirmed with a nod, "Paladin, train with Nalia." I ordered the summon.

    She nodded and put her helmet back on, readying her own weapons, "Yes Master."
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    "I bet 50 gold on the Blood Elf!"

    "But they're both Blood Elves!!"

    "Exactly."
     
    Krazyfan1 said:
    careful there....you might accidentally make a soul...
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    What does it matter?

    I mean, yes; it's common to assume, in fantasy settings, that possession of a soul is what makes you worthy of moral concern. But is this true? What does a soul do, and how to you reconcile it with the fact that in other settings (e.g. ours) they manifestly don't exist?

    Well, typically, possession of a soul makes you ~immortal, while sapient creatures that don't have one tend to be immortal in their own right. The original, H C Anderson version of the little mermaid, for example; she was immortal up until she decided to go on land, but gave that up in return for a human body, and when the prince rejected her she turned to seafoam. As she lacked a soul, this was permanent death.

    Moral concern, however... it seems likely that what gives people subjective experience, which IMO is what should qualify you for having inherent value, is the algorithms your mind is running. It's what makes you sapient, and although there might be ways to create a sapient being that lacks subjective experience (hopefully!), we don't know how.

    In that case, the summons are most likely valid targets for same. They aren't human, but they seem to be at least as clever as, say, a dog. Adding a soul would make it less of an issue, since death wouldn't be forever; not having one means they're in the same boat as they'd be in our universe.

    Atreus just doesn't care. (And that isn't a bad thing, for the story, even as I'd be worried about it in real life.)
     
    Last edited:
    Baughn said:
    What does it matter?

    I mean, yes; it's common to assume, in fantasy settings, that possession of a soul is what makes you worthy of moral concern. But is this true? What does a soul do, and how to you reconcile it with the fact that in other settings (e.g. ours) they manifestly don't exist?

    Well, typically, possession of a soul makes you ~immortal, while sapient creatures that don't have one tend to be immortal in their own right. The original, H C Anderson version of the little mermaid, for example; she was immortal up until she decided to go on land, but gave that up in return for a human body, and when the prince rejected her she turned to seafoam. As she lacked a soul, this was permanent death.

    Moral concern, however... it seems likely that what gives people subjective experience, which IMO is what should qualify you for having inherent value, is the algorithms your mind is running. It's what makes you sapient, and although there might be ways to create a sapient being that lacks subjective experience (hopefully!), we don't know how.

    In that case, the summons are most likely valid targets for same. They aren't human, but they seem to be at least as clever as, say, a dog. Adding a soul would make it less of an issue, since death wouldn't be forever; not having one means they're in the same boat as they'd be in our universe.

    Atreus just doesn't care. (And that isn't a bad thing, for the story, even as I'd be worried about it in real life.)
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Summons, even Legends, are explicitly incapable of learning. They are a really high-level magical VI.
     
    71
  • Threadmarks
    • The visit to Meereen was more eventful than any of us liked, but at the very least everything ended well enough.

    While the rumors of undead were unsettling, magic in that world was... well... kind of crap, to be honest. Even if it 'was' true and some two bit necromancer managed to scrape together enough power to raise some zombies, it was hardly a major threat even to the people in that world.

    As for the Valyrian steel dagger... it was currently sitting on my work bench for future testing. The metal itself was currently undefined.

    Now, though, I finally had some time to do some actual work.

    Crossed my frontlegs, rested my heads on them, weaving a small telekinesis spell to turn the page in the book.

    Nothing in here yet. But I think there might be.

    The book was on enchantment interactions and how not to blow stuff up by accident. There really should be something in here on what was going wrong with my boat project.

    If I could just get the propulsion enchantment on it working, I could live without the 'do not fall out' enchantment. It was a boat, not a carpet. It was not quite as easy to fall off, especially if I was able to scale it up to full scale.

    Flipping the page, I continued reading before I heard a sound.

    What?

    Lowering the book, I found myself eye to eye with a small blue whelp sitting on the floor in front of me, looking up at me with big amber eyes.

    What.

    "Hello?" I asked hesitantly, tilting my head slightly.

    "Hello." she answered happily, fluttering her tiny wings.

    She was small, couldn't be more than a couple months old at the very most and smaller than my head. That age... that would make her about the equivalent to a five to eight year old human or somewhere around there at most.

    "I'm Atregos." I finally told her. "Who are you?"

    Very strange to see a whelp wandering around the Nexus on their own. Normally, they were watched over in the lower levels.

    That was actually a much more normal task for a Drake than what Ren, me and Zrazta did. We were most definitely the outliers there.

    "Tasa." she answered and blinked up at me. "What are you doing?"

    Dragons of the flights did not actually, contrary to popular belief, all have their names end in the same way. It was just very common.

    "I'm trying to figure out a resonance reaction between different enchantments. What are you doing up here, little one? Are you not meant to be in the lower tunnels with the rest?"

    Tasa tilted her head and shrugged her small wings. "Bored."

    Bored.

    Yeah, I guess I could see that. I couldn't just let her wander around, though. Yes, the Nexus was likely one of the safer places on the planet for a young whelp... but only if you were not an inquisitive little whelp who might stumble into some kind of dangerous magical experiment.

    I could take her back down to the tunnels, but I had been really been looking forward to actually getting some work done today...

    Sooner or later, somebody would come looking for her. I could just keep her out of trouble until then and things would be good.

    If they didn't find her by the time I was done for the day, I would just bring her down there myself.

    So... some way to keep the small whelp entertained...

    "Let's see what we can do about that then." I said, shifting my wings in amusement before I reached to pick up an artifact from my workbench to put it on the floor in front of Tasa.

    She blinked and tilted her head in question, looking at it. The dwemer artifact was half the size of her, a gyroscope centered around a clear crystal.

    "What is it?" she then asked as she shifted, looking it over, careful not to touch it.

    Smart, as expected. She would have started her magical instruction already and one of the first things that were beat into everyone's head when starting their training is 'DO NOT TOUCH!'.

    "Gyroscope. Used to stabilize some magical constructs." I explained and reached out, touching the top of it with a claw, pulling it onto its tip and starting the insides spinning.

    Tasa jumped back and slapped her wings like a humming bird, hovering in place from excitement when I let go and it kept standing. "Amazing!"

    Chuckling, I nodded. "Indeed." I said before I tilted my head. "You know how to write?"

    She dropped back down onto the floor. "Just with my claw."

    Nodding again, I cast a quick telekinesis spell, pulling some spare parchments and an inkwell from my workbench and put it next to her and the balancing gyroscope. "Want to help me with some research?"

    She quickly jumped up on all four and nodded. "What do I do?"

    "I need you to help me figure out what makes this thing stay balanced." I said and gave the gyroscope a small push. It wobbled slightly but soon stabilized on its tip again. That magic charge would keep it going for a couple of hours.

    Tasa nodded and settled down again. "How?"

    "Simply test things. What does it take to get it to fall over, do different speeds matter... does it have to spin? Write down everything you do along with what you see and think."

    The whelp nodded and frowned in thought as she settled down to watch it as I returned to my book, keeping half an eye on her. Having her try to figure out some basic physics should keep her busy for a while.

    I didn't think she would be able to, she was way too young, but all blue dragons liked mental challenges like that.


    XXXXXXXXXXX


    "World Walker." A voice said and I looked up from the book to see another Blue Drake at the entrance of my workshop.

    He actually looked younger than me, in his early twenties.

    "Yes?"

    "I am Jelgos. I'm looking for a whelp, she snuck out after feeding time. Her scent trail ends outside your workshop."

    I raised my eyeridge and turned my head as I lifted the wing I had spread over the whelp and her new toy. She had curled up around the toy on top of a pile of inkblotted parchment, the same ink staining not only her claws but she had somehow managed to get it on her scales and snout as well. She fell asleep not long after it stopped spinning and was currently busy drooling all over it in her sleep.

    "I believe I located your wayward ward."

    Jelgos slowly entered the workshop and lowered his head. "I'm sorry for allowing her to bother you, World Walker."

    Shaking my head, I watched him catch the skin just above her wings in his jaws and pick her up like a large cat, bringing the gyro along as she clung to it with a sleepy protest.

    "It is no bother, really. She was actually quite well behaved. But she is lucky she ended up in here and not in some of the other labs. They contain much more dangerous items than mine."

    He looked quite unsure on how to extract the gyroscope from her grasp so I just chuckled.

    "Don't bother. When she wakes up, tell her to consider it a loan until she can explain to me why it keeps standing while it's spinning."





    AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section. Here is tomorrows part because I will be busy tomorrow.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Hiver said:
    The visit to Meereen was more eventful than any of us liked, but at the very least everything ended well enough.

    While the rumors of undead were unsettling, magic in that world was... well... kind of crap, to be honest. Even if it 'was' true and some two bit necromancer managed to scrape together enough power to raise some zombies, it was hardly a major threat even to the people in that world.

    As for the Valyrian steel dagger... it was currently sitting on my work bench for future testing. The metal itself was currently undefined.

    Now, though, I finally had some time to do some actual work.

    Crossed my frontlegs, rested my heads on them, weaving a small telekinesis spell to turn the page in the book.

    Nothing in here yet. But I think there might be.

    The book was on enchantment interactions and how not to blow stuff up by accident. There really should be something in here on what was going wrong with my boat project.

    If I could just get the propulsion enchantment on it working, I could live without the 'do not fall out' enchantment. It was a boat, not a carpet. It was not quite as easy to fall off, especially if I was able to scale it up to full scale.

    Flipping the page, I continued reading before I heard a sound.

    What?

    Lowering the book, I found myself eye to eye with a small blue whelp sitting on the floor in front of me, looking up at me with big amber eyes.

    What.

    "Hello?" I asked hesitantly, tilting my head slightly.

    "Hello." she answered happily, fluttering her tiny wings.

    She was small, couldn't be more than a couple months old at the very most and smaller than my head. That age... that would make her about the equivalent to a five to eight year old human or somewhere around there at most.

    "I'm Atregos." I finally told her. "Who are you?"

    Very strange to see a whelp wandering around the Nexus on their own. Normally, they were watched over in the lower levels.

    That was actually a much more normal task for a Drake than what Ren, me and Zrazta did. We were most definitely the outliers there.

    "Tasa." she answered and blinked up at me. "What are you doing?"

    Dragons of the flights did not actually, contrary to popular belief, all have their names end in the same way. It was just very common.

    "I'm trying to figure out a resonance reaction between different enchantments. What are you doing up here, little one? Are you not meant to be in the lower tunnels with the rest?"

    Tasa tilted her head and shrugged her small wings. "Bored."

    Bored.

    Yeah, I guess I could see that. I couldn't just let her wander around, though. Yes, the Nexus was likely one of the safer places on the planet for a young whelp... but only if you were not an inquisitive little whelp who might stumble into some kind of dangerous magical experiment.

    I could take her back down to the tunnels, but I had been really been looking forward to actually getting some work done today...

    Sooner or later, somebody would come looking for her. I could just keep her out of trouble until then and things would be good.

    If they didn't find her by the time I was done for the day, I would just bring her down there myself.

    So... some way to keep the small whelp entertained...

    "Let's see what we can do about that then." I said, shifting my wings in amusement before I reached to pick up an artifact from my workbench to put it on the floor in front of Tasa.

    She blinked and tilted her head in question, looking at it. The dwemer artifact was half the size of her, a gyroscope centered around a clear crystal.

    "What is it?" she then asked as she shifted, looking it over, careful not to touch it.

    Smart, as expected. She would have started her magical instruction already and one of the first things that were beat into everyone's head when starting their training is 'DO NOT TOUCH!'.

    "Gyroscope. Used to stabilize some magical constructs." I explained and reached out, touching the top of it with a claw, pulling it onto its tip and starting the insides spinning.

    Tasa jumped back and slapped her wings like a humming bird, hovering in place from excitement when I let go and it kept standing. "Amazing!"

    Chuckling, I nodded. "Indeed." I said before I tilted my head. "You know how to write?"

    She dropped back down onto the floor. "Just with my claw."

    Nodding again, I cast a quick telekinesis spell, pulling some spare parchments and an inkwell from my workbench and put it next to her and the balancing gyroscope. "Want to help me with some research?"

    She quickly jumped up on all four and nodded. "What do I do?"

    "I need you to help me figure out what makes this thing stay balanced." I said and gave the gyroscope a small push. It wobbled slightly but soon stabilized on its tip again. That magic charge would keep it going for a couple of hours.

    Tasa nodded and settled down again. "How?"

    "Simply test things. What does it take to get it to fall over, do different speeds matter... does it have to spin? Write down everything you do along with what you see and think."

    The whelp nodded and frowned in thought as she settled down to watch it as I returned to my book, keeping half an eye on her. Having her try to figure out some basic physics should keep her busy for a while.

    I didn't think she would be able to, she was way too young, but all blue dragons liked mental challenges like that.


    XXXXXXXXXXX


    "World Walker." A voice said and I looked up from the book to see another Blue Drake at the entrance of my workshop.

    He actually looked younger than me, in his early twenties.

    "Yes?"

    "I am Jelgos. I'm looking for a whelp, she snuck out after feeding time. Her scent trail ends outside your workshop."

    I raised my eyeridge and turned my head as I lifted the wing I had spread over the whelp and her new toy. She had curled up around the toy on top of a pile of inkblotted parchment, the same ink staining not only her claws but she had somehow managed to get it on her scales and snout as well. She fell asleep not long after it stopped spinning and was currently busy drooling all over it in her sleep.

    "I believe I located your wayward ward."

    Jelgos slowly entered the workshop and lowered his head. "I'm sorry for allowing her to bother you, World Walker."

    Shaking my head, I watched him catch the skin just above her wings in his jaws and pick her up like a large cat, bringing the gyro along as she clung to it with a sleepy protest.

    "It is no bother, really. She was actually quite well behaved. But she is lucky she ended up in here and not in some of the other labs. They contain much more dangerous items than mine."

    He looked quite unsure on how to extract the gyroscope from her grasp so I just chuckled.

    "Don't bother. When she wakes up, tell her to consider it a loan until she can explain to me why it keeps standing while it's spinning."





    AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section. Here is tomorrows part because I will be busy tomorrow.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    This chapter both made me feel really guilty about all the Whelps my character killed during the Nexus war, and makes me consider Malygos even more of a monster, I never really considered that he was making his flights children fight back when I played WOTLK.
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top