The warband rode off as fast as they could, leaving the people of the village to defend themselves ... As time passed, Careena noticed that the crowd of people had grown smaller - when the warband left that had been around 70 standing the nightwatch, now it would be generous to call it 30. Careena remarked on this to her father, who would only say that he expected nothing else from humans - they lack consistency and self-discipline ...
Careena passed the time by telling her father of her recent adventures and when she got to the creatures in The Demon's Crypt, Lagon was able to identify them as Trogs, monstrous degenerates, known to kill and eat - or eat and then kill - anything they encountered, but realising he was getting close to breaking his vow, Lagon would say no more.
Their moment of awkward silence was broken by a scream from close to the gap in the palisade, "They're coming!"
At this point I realised that Careena's Keen ritual had failed at the end of her last fight. As she'd had plenty of time to conduct it, I went back and retconned it into post 18, considering it as being on both hers and Lagon's weaponsShouts and screams became widespread as a wave of Broken erupted into the torches that had been placed around the area behind the gap in the palisade. Careena and Lagon sprinted toward the gap and threw themselves into the fight
I'm going to use the optional rule from Ironsworn, Scene Challenge to run this fight, calling this a Dangerous challenge; this means that each progress I make will mark 2 boxes of the 10 for the challenge, and it has a 4 box countdown as usual.
For a negative outcome, I'm thinking of sacrificing Lagon as that would lead to an interesting vengeance vow for Careena, but then again, it is a bit cliched - hero reconciles with father and then loses them? Well, let's 'Play and find out' what happens
Face Danger: 4 +2 [heart] vs 6,3; weak hit, prog -> 2/10, countdown -> 1/4The defenders were all very eager in their fighting, but the lack of organisation hurt them - it made it too easy for the broken to isolate and overwhelm the defenders singly. Shouting at the others, Careena and Lagon were able to form the defenders into a line.
Face Danger: 4 +3 [wits] vs 2,4; strong hit, prog -> 4/10, countdown 1/4The line helped the defence immensely and they now held the upper hand over the Broken, but they continued their assault ...
Face Danger: 4 +3 [wits] vs 7,8; miss, prog 4/10, countdown -> 2/4, Pay the PriceThey fought on slaying any of the Broken that came within their reach. It took Careena a while to realise, but when she did, she wondered how she could have missed that the Broken were using weapons! Granted they seemed to be primitive clubs and in some cases simple rocks, but the weapons of the fallen defenders were now being used against them. This was a worrying development for all who sought to stand against the Broken ...
As I said above, I couldn't decide whether to use Lagon as a 'Price' or not, so I Asked the Oracle and got "You are separated from something or someone", so it seems to have been chosen by fate ...
However, this was driven from Careena's mind when her father was knocked down by a rush of Broken. Seeing Lagon brought low, terrified Careena and she leapt to stand astride him, a whirlwind of death for the Broken that scrabbled at his unmoving body ...
Face Danger: 3 +3 [wits] vs 5,7; strong hit, prog -> 6/10, countdown 2/4Careena's fury for the creatures that tried to kill her father and the people of her home was unleashed and heedless of the danger, she began to move forward, toward the palisade, her battleaxe sweeping away the Broken, like a broom with fallen leaves.
Face Danger: 2 +3 [wits] vs 4,3; strong hit, prog -> 8/10, countdown 2/4Seeing Careena's success, the other defenders followed her in the advance ...
Face Danger: 5 +3 [wits] vs 7,4; strong hit, prog -> 10/10, countdown 2/4... which the Broken could not resist - they fled screaming into the night. The rage and fury drained out of Careena like water from a bucket, she felt like she was only standing through willpower alone, but then she remembered Lagon being knocked down, and rushed to find him ...
Resolve the Scene: prog 10 vs 3,9; strong hit -> 'achieve your goal unconditionally'
Is Lagon alive? I will Ask the Oracle with a chance of likely as I think it should take more than a few Broken to kill the sour old Dwarf. If he is alive, I'll ask another question about his health.It took Careena several minutes to find Lagon - while they had been fighting some of the other villagers had moved the wounded into the tavern where those who were learned in herbs were doing their best for them.
Ask the Oracle - is Lagon alive? (Likely); 93 - Yes
Ask the Oracle - is Lagon dying? (Unlikely); 10 - No
Careena was relieved to see Trynmanf attending to her father - he must be alive, or he would have been among the shrouded corpses outside - and she rushed over to be at his side. Lagon was obviously not badly wounded - he was his normal curmudgeonly self growling at Trynmanf as the healer was wrapping a linen bandage around the Dwarf's head. Wordlessly, Careena took her father's left hand, happy that he was alive and relatively unscathed. From Trymanf's words she gathered that he had been clubbed unconscious and now had a nasty lump on his head that Trymanf was securing a poultice to with the bandage.
A commotion came from outside and Careena took her leave from Lagon and Trymanf to see what was the cause and left the tavern to find that most of the warband had returned. It seemed that the fire at the dun had been lit to draw off the warband from the village. At most half-a-dozen Broken had climbed over the dun's walls and fired the stables before being cut down by the fortguard - by the time that Maestyn and the rest of the warband had reached the dun, the fire was well on the way to being extinguished. Maestyn had left a couple of men at the dun to help with the terrified horses and headed back for Hillbarrow, fearing exactly what had happened - an attack on the village while the warband wasn't there ...
But between the warband reaching the dun and then trying to return to Hillbarrow, someone had tied a rope across the road which two horses had hit and broken legs on, having to be put down as a result. The rope had achieved its obvious intended result - slowing the warband's return to Hillbarrow.
As she learned the story of the night's events, Careena became increasingly concerned - she had never heard of the Broken being so organised and ... competent was the only word she could think of. She wanted to talk to Lagon about it, but could not get of the crowd that had formed while she was listening to the warband tell their tale. Every way she turned it seemed people were trying to congratulate her and shake her hand. At first, she couldn't understand why, but it gradually dawned on her that she was being given the credit for the successful defence of the village! To hear the others, you would have thought that she stood in the palisade's gap and slew a hundred Broken all by herself!
Claiming that she had to see how her father fared, Careena was eventually able to get back inside the tavern and away from the crowd. She couldn't escape entirely - Captain Maestyn followed her inside and asked Careena to present herself at Lady Mertree's dun at mid-day as he was certain the Lady would want to thank Careena personally ...
Careena was shocked at the very thought of going to the dun ... and meeting nobility! What would she say to the Lady? and the Lady wouldn't want to speak with Careena surely? All these thoughts circled endlessly round her head as she and Lagon - who certainly did not need any help - went out the back to get home without being mobbed again.
When they got there, Tuage, who had Scried Lagon throughout the fight and thus knew they had survived relatively unscathed, fussed over both of them and made Careena sit, while she took care of the numerous small cuts she had taken in the fight. Long before Tuage had finished though, Careena had fallen into a deep sleep and thus missed the proud smiles that her parents exchanged over her snoring form ...
I'm posting this as I write it and just looking at the post, there's a huge wall of text without any moves! I should get some more in ... and hopefully I'll get a couple of relationship ones in soon. First, withstanding the attack of the Broken counts as 'stand together to face hardship' (Forge a Bond) I think, so ...
Forge a Bond - with 'The people of Hillbarrow'; 3 +2 [heart] vs 3,4; strong hit, bond made, +2 mom -> 7
Back to Careena ...
Careena stood in the chilled dun close to the hearth with Cardy, Hillbarrow's headman, awaiting Lady Mertree's pleasure. The morning at the village had been another time of embarrassment for Careena. Although not mobbed, like the night before, it had seemed that everyone in the village had wanted to thank her for her 'heroism'. But Careena had endured it with the best grace that she could muster, before eventually breaking free with Cardy and walking through the still snow-covered fields to Lady Mertree's dun. Once there it had been 'hurry up and wait' - after the Lady's steward had instructed Careena how to behave and what to say when in the Lady's presence, they had moved to where they now were and waited for the Lady to appear ...
Eventually though, they were summoned to the honour table where the Lady sat with her advisers - the steward Lord Llane (he was a minor son of nobility) and her captain - Maetrys.
Careena bowed as she had been instructed and tried to compose herself correctly ...
Secure an Advantage: 1 +2 [heart] vs 8,6; miss, Pay the Price: not a very dangerous situation, so I'm going with the obvious - for some reason Lady Mertree takes a dislike to CareenaThe Lady questions Cardy about the village - its losses, what's needed for repairs, etc - before turning to Careena. She looks Careena up and down, and then turns to Maestyn with an arched eyebrow, as if saying, 'This is the hero? are you sure?'
Careena feels her cheeks begin to burn - although whether it is shame or anger, she really can't tell. Struggling to control herself she tries again to compose herself and ignore the Lady's obvious disdain.
Careena is trying to change the Lady's initial impression of her, so I think that's a Compel with Heart. This is the first time I've used that move - perhaps I should get Careena to talk more ...Maestyn spoke, "My Lady, the defenders of the village were without disagreement - they all said that had it not been for Careena's heroism they would have been overrun by the Broken. She saved the village through her brave example."
Compel: 4 +2 [heart] vs 5,5; strong hit, +1 mom -> 8.
That's more like it, a strong hit with a positive twist! Careena's inner charm has shone through! Where to go with the story though; I think it's likely that Lady Mertree will thank Careena with a gift, so I'll Ask the Oracle
Ask the Oracle - does Lady Mertree give Careena a gift?; 76 - Yes
Careena did not now what to say to this praise, so bowed in the Captain's direction.
Perhaps it was the way that she accepted the praise, or at a second look she saw something she had missed the first time, but whatever it was, Lady Mertree seemed to revise her opinion of Careena, and spoke to her, "Careena, I thank you for helping to save the village and I would not have such bravery go unrewarded. Ask of me a gift and if it is in my power to give, you shall have it."
Careena did not know what to ask for, but then she thought of Talan. He was a puppy born to one of the village dogs last year that Careena had befriended, but his owner had brought him to the dun as part of his tax to be a ratter. "My Lady, if it not be impertinent, can I have Talan the dog who was brought here last spring? I travel alone and he would be a good nightguard for me."
Seemingly pleased (Careena guessed that she was happy it was a simple request), Lady Mertree turned to Lord Llane with a questioning look. "Easily done my Lady," he said and rose from his chair indicating that Careena should follow him. Her audience at an end, Careena bowed to the Lady and followed her steward.
Enough for this post; more soon!