"Charun," began Mayor Verena, "We have a duty for you, beyond those you have performed."
Radulf faced the Mayor and bowed his head to receive the duty as tradition demanded.
"From the last storm of autumn the fishing boat Elfreda never returned and with the new moons just passed you know what will have happened to the three crew," Verena continued.
"Yes, they will have joined The Sodden and likely return with the morning tide," concluded Radulf. "I will set out with the dawn and put them to rest. But for now I must rest myself."
He turned to Taylah, Priestess-of-Vanth, and she led him to the village's Temple-of-Vanth where he stayed the night ...
So this is the Settlement Trouble I decided upon for Portwater - 3 Sodden that must be put to rest. In the rulebook, Sodden are individually Formidable, so 3 together would be Extreme, but in my Ironlands (see Ironlands' Notes page) I'm treating 'normal' undead as Troublesome, so 3 are Dangerous.With the dawn, Radulf's prayers were as ... unsettled today as they had been yesterday, but today he knew it was the prospect of his first quest as Charun. He knew that he would have to complete the vow he would make upon the Priestess's sword or die in the attempt - that was the rule of the Charun. His faith was iron though and he knew in his soul he would not fail.
I'll do the roll for Radulf's morning prayers using the Devotant asset here.
Secure an Advantage: +Iron: 1 +4 vs 5 & 1 - weak hit => +3 momentum (+1 from wk hit, +2 from Devotant) now +10 (max)
Thus resolved he joined Taylah before the altar where she waited, her sword already purified and upon the altar, its sanctity calling to him without words and he strode forward, placing his bare right hand upon the sword's blade and holding his Greathammer (called the Hammer-of-Charun by the Faithful), vertical in his left. He spoke the words of his vow in a strong voice despite the slight muffling of the Mask-of-Charun
"I swear upon the Iron of my Faith and the Iron of this Holy Sword, that I will put The Sodden of the Elfreda to rest."
Before I roll for the vow, I'm rolling 3 descriptors for Taylah and picking 2 that seem right: Connected, Stern & Violent; from those I choose Connected & Stern; perhaps less friendly than I envision most Priestesses, but Portwater is a plum 'posting', so Connected seems very appropriate. Roll for the vow; it will be a Troublesome vow:
Swear an Iron Vow: +Heart (Bannersworn gives re-roll any dice, if needed) : 4 +3 vs 5 & 4 => strong hit => +2 momentum, already maxed
His vow sworn, and comforted by the iron of his faith, Radulf, Charun-at-Portwater strode from the Temple-of-Vanth into Portwater. Waiting for him was Selva, Warden-Captain.
"Charun," she said as he approached. "This is Kuno," indicating the gangly youth who stood to her side. "He will show you where The Sodden will most likely be washed up."
"Thank-you, Selva and you Kuno," replied Radulf, "but I have had this duty before and know where I must look."
Safe behind his mask, Radulf didn't make any effort to hide his smile as relief and chagrin warred upon Kuno's young face.
Roll for Selva's descriptors to see how she reacts to this: Generous, Loyal & Stubborn, from which I'm picking Generous (why she offered Kuno) & Loyal."As you wish," said Selva withdrawing.
Radulf strode to the stable to say good morning to Otaan, receiving a gentle nuzzle in return. It wouldn't be too many years before the young mammoth would have to be in the exterior stables - his frame would out-grow the gateway - but that was for another day. Leading Otaan out of his stall, stablemen quickly hitched a small sledge to Otaan - for Radulf had to return the corpses of The Sodden for proper disposal
Leaving Portwater, Radulf strode purposefully down the road to the beach, with Otaan faithfully at his heels, and turned to his left - east and began walking along the beach toward the small cove where the tide's eddies normally washed up anything the size of The Sodden. At least the snow had stopped yesterday evening.
I feel like there should be a roll of some sort here. Radulf (and everyone else in Portwater) is assuming that The Sodden will be where they always are, so I think a Gather Information is appropriate, with a miss indicating they aren't (& haven't been) there.
Gather Information: +Wits; 3 +3 vs. 6 & 4 => weak hit => info. complicates your quest or introduces a new danger; +1 momentum (at max)
Reaching the cove, Radulf found that The Sodden had out-foxed them. There was one of The Sodden on the cove's beach, but he could clearly tracks in the sand (and then the snow) showing that 2 had already headed out of sight to the north. Cursing under his breath, he unslung his Hammer-of-Charun and advanced upon The Sodden.
Enter the Fray: facing off, Troublesome foe, +Heart; 1 +3 vs. 4 & 2 => weak hit => take initiativeA sole Sodden was no match on its own for Radulf and its miserable existence was soon ended by his Hammer-of-Charun. Saying a prayer for the sorry fate of the fisherman, Radulf lifted the body and calling Otaan toward him, soon had the body upon the sledge.
Strike: close qtrs => +Iron; 2 +4 vs. 6 & 4 => weak hit => inflict harm, 2; 6 progress, total 6/10, lose initiative
Turn the Tide: (Thunder-Bringer asset gives re-roll any dice, if needed) Strike: close qtrs => +Iron +1 (TtT) ; 4 +4 +1 vs. 9 & 1 => weak hit => re-roll the 8, get 4 => strong hit => inflict harm, 2 +1 strong hit, +2 (Thunder-Bringer asset); 15 prog. total 10/10 (max)
End the Fight: 10 vs. 4 & 4 - strong hit & opportunity => Sodden destroyed by Hammer-of-Charun will not rise
That makes a milestone for the troublesome vow "I will put The Sodden of the Elfreda to rest"; progress 3/10Radulf followed the tracks northwards out of the cove with his Hammer-of-Charun ready to rest The Sodden when he found them. Before long, cresting a rise, he saw both The Sodden cresting another rise in the beach not far ahead of them. "Give them a call Otaan," Radulf said. Lifting his trunk, Otaan obligingly trumpeted causing The Sodden to turn, see them and begin to stumble towards them as fast as they could. Bidding Otaan to "Stay put," Radulf broke into an easy jog toward the pair of Sodden, confident in his abilities and iron in his faith.
I'll do a Gather Information now for Radulf following the tracks of The Sodden
Gather Information: +Wits; 4 +3 vs. 9 & 4 => weak hit => burn momentum => strong hit => discover something helpful and specific, +2 momentum, now +4
A single Sodden is troublesome, two makes for a dangerous foeEven two of The Sodden were no match for Radulf and soon both were at their final rest. Radulf's inexperience had shown, though, as he had allowed The Sodden to mark him with a nasty wound on his hip. As chatisement, he recited the basic catechisms while loading the bodies upon Otaan's sledge. The loading done, Radulf repeated his earlier prayer for the other victims, turned Otaan around and began the trudge back to Portwater
Enter the Fray: facing off, Dangerous foe => +Heart; 4 +2 vs. 6 & 4 => weak hit => take initiative
Strike: close qtrs => +Iron; 6 +3 vs. 5 & 2 => strong hit => inflict harm, 2 +1 strong hit; 6 progress, total 6/10, keep initiative
Strike: close qtrs => +Iron; 4 +3 vs. 4 & 2 => strong hit => inflict harm, 2 +1 strong hit; 6 progress, total 10/10 (maxed), keep initiative
End the Fight: 10 vs. 10 & 2 => weak hit => choose Endure Harm => Sodden destroyed by Hammer-of-Charun will not rise
Endure Harm: -2 Health (Dangerous foe), now 3; roll +Iron (at 4 is higher than 3 Health); 3 +4 vs. 10 & 4 => weak hit => -1 momentum, now +3
Progress for the vow "I will put The Sodden of the Elfreda to rest"
Reach a Milestone: progress now 6/10