At the end of the last post, Careena had found Gamana and the cave that was to be their home for thew winter, and they had caught each up on recent events, so let's pick up there ...
Over the next week or so, Careena spent a lot of time improving their cave's residential capability during the day and learning from Gamana about the Marked and what it meant. After this week, Careena confirmed that she wished to be Marked and Gamana tattooed her with the Marks for the Sway and Keen Rituals
Advance: 2xp to gain the third ability of the Ritualist assetThen Careena began to learn the Augur ritual. Perhaps it was their location, it was Raven Ridge after all, but for some reason, whenever she conducted it, Ravens came at her call, not Crows. Gamana had no idea why this might be either ...
Advance: 2xp to gain the Augur asset (2 not 3 due to Ritualist 3rd ability)... but she did not believe it something to be concerned about, so Careena simply accepted it. Instead of the crow usually used for the Mark for the Augur ritual, Careena used a raven for her own Mark, a smoother head and wedge (rather than fan) shaped tail the only differences.
And then the first snow came, but by then the cave had become a home, so they were little discomfited by it, although they would need to forage for food soon.
I want some events to occur during the winter, at the very least to get progress on her 'serve' vow, but I don't know what ... perhaps encounters with some other Firstborn? with Careena's asset combination, fights seem to have been ... 'easy' for Careena so far, so something tougher that Careena might have to flee from would be good. So I'll Ask the Oracle
Ask the Oracle - instead of rolling, I looked through the Beasts in the rulebook and decided upon a Wyvern. I don't want a 'wandering monster' though, there should be some purpose behind it, so ... Gamana's 'Secure an Object' goal (revealed by the Oracle in post 16 Rhuddli's Revenge) is in fact that Gamana wants a young wyvern companion, so they need to capture one - and its mother is going to object ...
About six weeks into the winter, Gamana finally told Careena what it was that she needed - why she had chosen Raven Ridge for their winter home. She knew the ritual for binding an animal as a companion, but her last companion had died years ago, and the gap it had left in her heart had long wanted to be filled. The situation with her sister had focussed her mind on this and she had meditated upon it at length and finally the answer had come to her - she would bind a Wyvern as her companion. So she had come to Raven Ridge - just to its north lay the southern edge of the Hinterlands; Wyverns were known to migrate there from the Veiled Mountains during the winter.
It needed to be a young Wyvern for the binding to work, the younger the better and its mother - if present - would be likely to 'object' - violently. So Gamana asked, would Careena help her to bind a Wyvern?
Careena had gradually become infatuated with Gamana and by this time she thought Gamana capable of no wrong, so she readily agreed, even swearing an Iron Vow to do so.
Swear an Iron Vow: I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion Dangerous; 1 +2 [heart] +1 [bond] vs 3,1; strong hit, +2 mom -> 8They took a number of trips into the hills to the north of Raven Ridge looking for Wyverns, but it was several trips and a number of journeys before they identified a likely candidate and more trips before they found where it laired - with its mother - at the summit of a rocky hill.
Reach a Milestone - I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog -> 2/10It was a sunny day, nearly mid-winter, when they set out to capture the young Wyvern. Both Gamana's, and Careena's, Auguries had revealed that it was an auspicious day for the attempt, and they were as prepared as they could be, even having some drugged meat to feed to the youngster after its mother had left. They set out early reaching the lair before dawn, as they knew that the mother normally left then to hunt.
Hiding carefully, they saw the mother Wyvern depart with great booms of noise from its flapping wings, and then they carefully crept toward the nest.
Reach a Milestone - I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog -> 4/10The nest lay in a dell on the hill's summit and large boulders had been moved - obviously by the mother - into a rough circle within which the young Wyvern was seemingly dozing awaiting its mother's return.
Careena sneaked closer through a gap between two of the boulders the drugged meat ready to throw to the Wyvern.
Secure an Advantage: 5 +3 [wits as they have a cunning plan] vs 2,3; strong hit, +1 to next moveCareena reached the inside of the boulder circle and threw the meat, getting it in front of the Wyvern without it being disturbed. Withdrawing so she could hide in the gap between boulders, Careena considered the Wyvern. She had never been this close to a Wyvern and it seemed much bigger than she had thought - about the size of a small horse. As she watched, she saw the Wyvern's nostrils twitching before it opened it eyes and immediately gobbled down the meat. It did not take long for the Wyvern to fall into a deep sleep. Calling Gamana, Careena crept up to the Wyvern and gave it an experimental prod with the butt of her walking axe - it didn't twitch in the slightest and Careena let out the breath she hadn't know she was holding.
Face Danger: 4 +1 [shadow as Careena is sneaking] +1 [SaA] vs 3,2; strong hit, +2 mom -> 10
Wasting no time, Gamana immediately began her preparations for the ritual that would bind the Wyvern as her companion. Careena helped as best she could, while memorising what Gamana was doing.
Reach a Milestone - I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog -> 6/10Gamana completed the ritual and turned to Careena - "It is done, he is bound to me!" she called happily. But they still had to deal with his mother - if they did not, then it would hunt for its child. As they had planned, they piled the green wood they brought and cleared an area away from the sleeping Wyvern, so they could light a fire without endangering. According to their plan, the mother would see the smoke - for it did not hunt far from the nest - return, and they would ambush it. So they lit the fire and waited ...
As they had hoped they soon heard the mother Wyvern coming back; hopefully their preparations would give them an advantage ...
Secure an Advantage: 3 +3 [wits - plan] vs 5,3; strong hit, +1 to next moveThe plan was working! The mother landed, flapping her wings to disperse the fire, and Careena crept out on top of a boulder behind, while Gamana raised her bow.
Enter the Fray - Wyvern mother, Extreme: 6 +1 [shadow - ambushing] +1 [SaA] vs 3,9; weak hit, +INITCareena leapt from the boulder, sweeping the battleaxe down into the Wyvern
Gamana's help against the Wyvern will be +1 harm for each Strike & Clash move that Careena makesCareena's axe bit deep into the Wyvern's flank, and it turned screeching in pain, just as Gamana's arrow bit into its flank. Lunging its terrible jaw at Careena, the Dwarf sidestepped and ...
Strike -1 mom -> 9, +1 harm [Sunderer]: 5 +2 [iron] vs 4,1; strong hit, +INIT, harm 2 [battleaxe] +1 [strong] +1 [keen] +1 [Sunderer] +1 [Gamana] = 6, prog -> 6/20
Strike -1 mom -> 8, +1 harm [Sunderer]: 2 +2 [iron] vs 3,7; weak hit, -INIT, harm 2 [battleaxe] +1 [keen] +1 [Sunderer] +1 [Gamana] = 5, prog -> 11/20... struck the top of its jaw a solid blow, but the Wyvern swept Careena back stumbling in return.
Clash -1 mom -> 7, +1 harm [Sunderer]: 3 +2 [iron] vs 1,7; weak hit, -INIT, harm 2 [battleaxe] +1 [keen] +1 [Sunderer] +1 [Gamana] = 5, prog -> 16/20, Pay the Price: Careena takes 4 harm -> health 1The Wyvern's teeth scored deeply upon Careena's side even as she struck it yet again - surely it could not take much more punishment?
Endure Harm: 5 +2 [iron] vs 7,6; weak hit, press on
Reach a Milestone - I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog -> 8/10Careena knew that she could not! She jumped backwards into a gap between boulders even as the Wyvern stamped where Careena had been, and then lunged its head into the gap where Careena stood awaiting it.
Turn The Tide: +INIT, +1 on next move, +1 mom if hit Strike -1 mom -> 6, +1 harm [Sunderer]: 1 +2 [iron] vs 3,4; miss BURN mom -> strong hit (mom reset -> 2), +INIT, harm 2 [battleaxe]Her ploy worked and Careena's battleaxe bit deeply into the Wyvern's skull, killing it. The crash of its body to the ground was deafening and nearly woke its child, but then it rolled over and returned to its drugged sleep ...+1 [keenmagic spent as 1 on action die] +1 [Sunderer] +1 [Gamana] = 4, prog -> 20/20
End The Fight: prog 10 vs 7,1; strong hit, Wyvern is dead
Reach a Milestone - I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog -> 10/10Careena had never been in such pain! Nothing she had ever known had prepared her for a hurt like this! Quickly Gamana came to her aid and they soon had her wound bound as best they were able. Declaring that they had best remove the youngster from the nest before it awoke and saw its mother - if it did, it would put a tremendous strain upon Gamana's magic - they managed, eventually, to get it out of the stones and partway down the hill. Careena remained with it while Gamana returned to the dead Wyvern - apparently its tongue could be used fir a ritual. Its bones too - if powdered they could be used for a Ward's circle in place of salt - but they could come back for them as would not rot the way the tongue would.
Fulfil Your Vow: I will help Gamana get a Wyvern Companion; prog 10 vs 8,5; strong hit, 2xp
They managed to get into a small stand of trees, where they decided to camp for the night, Careena was soon asleep.
Make Camp: 5 +4 [supply] vs 7,2; strong hit, Recuperate +1 health -> 2 & Partake -1 supply -> 3, +1 health -> 3When Careena awoke, the young Wyvern, whom Gamana had named Ditarni, was awake and had been for a while apparently. It seemed to be treating Gamana as its mother now, constantly watching her and following her around. As Careena felt better, they packed their belongings and began to make their way home.
Reach a Milestone - I will serve Gamana for a year and a day; prog -> 6/10
Life at the cave settled down, although fitting the Wyvern into the cave presented a problem! When Careena had recovered from her wound, she dug out a pit for it to nest in at the back of the cave. When she had finished the pit Careena realised how much she had enjoyed the simple labour - it relaxed her immensely and gave her a sense of peace ...
With the narrative 'down-time' I'm going to reset Careena's Health & Supply to 5. Also, Careena has discovered another thing that means she is a Dwarf AND a Child of Earth - the simple joy to be found in digging, so it's time to ...As mid-winter passed the snows grew ever deeper and the air colder, but the 'killing-cold' did not last too long that year and, although still cold, the weather warmed noticeably ...
Reach a Milestone - I will learn what it means to be a Dwarf; prog -> 9/20
Reach a Milestone - I will learn what I should know as a Child of Earth; prog -> 2/10
Enough for now; more soon!