I wrote this well over a year ago, but left it as a draft. I intended to run this game as an experiment with two PCs ... perhaps I'll continue it at some point.
Nevertheless, the overseer and her people had been relieved when Hedrin, the known Slayer, and his companions - Sendra & Beltan - had arrived at Lowstone and he was soon contracted to slay the beast.
Hedrin whistled softly and Triffain, his faithful Hunting Terrier, came to his side.
As Hedrin approached a bend in the trail, he found Triffain pointing along the trail. Crouching, Hedrin slowly moved to Triffain's side. Ahead of them, just next to the trail a bear was pawing at a pile of leaves. Weighing his options, Hedrin considered carefully, before deciding upon one that had worked for him before. "Speak Triff," he said and the dog began to bark as Hedrin started to bang his spear on his shield, shouting as he did so.
"Quiet now Triff," said Hedrin, then kneeling and making a fuss of him, saying "Good boy," as he did.
Iron Vows:
In the third and final allowed year of Consul Maralane's rule, her death in the terrible Battle of the Lakes saw disaster befall the people of the Confederation. But in the first year of her rule, as the Slayer Hedrin tracked his quarry through a dawn mist, that was the secret of the future. The doom that awaited civilisation was as unknown to him as was the mind of the beast that he tracked.
Hedrin's first asset is Path : SlayerThat the beast was a Blighthound was beyond doubt though. The description given by the survivors of its first attack on the farms of Lowstone made that abundantly clear - "red eyes, curved horns, skin like charcoal and it stank like a week old corpse". It had first appeared six nights ago, attacking Unvi's Steading - one of the three farms that helped to feed the miners of Lowstone. Unvi and his men had fought the beast to allow their families to escape, at the cost of their lives. Since then it had attacked both of the other farms, but thick walls, strong shutters and heavily barred doors had spared those farms the fate of Unvi's Steading.
Nevertheless, the overseer and her people had been relieved when Hedrin, the known Slayer, and his companions - Sendra & Beltan - had arrived at Lowstone and he was soon contracted to slay the beast.
Hedrin's inciting incident and his second* Iron Vow - "I will slay the Blighthound that stalks Lowstone and receive fair payment" (Dangerous)
* - the first vow will be revealed as it becomes appropriate in the fiction.
I'm using the Wealth asset from Ironsworn Delve as a group asset as Sendra will be a full Ironsworn character in this story (Beltan is her Companion : Kindred asset)
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| Triffain |
Hedrin's second asset is Companion : Hound with the first ability, 'Sharp', selected"Find it for me Triff," Hedrin said as he rubbed the dog's head and as always obedient, Triffain snuffled around in the leaf litter seeking out the beast's trail.
At last, the first move! Gather Information to follow the trail. This is a +wits roll to which Hedrin gets +1 from Slayer and +1 from Triffain being a Sharp hound.It took Triffain mere moments to find the pungent trail of the Blighthound and he was soon waiting for his master. After a soft whistle from Hedrin, Triffain set off along the scent trail with Hedrin following at his loping jog, spear and shield held loosely, but ready.
2 wits +1 Slayer +1 Sharp Hound +2 Action Die = 6 vs 1,4 -> strong hit
Momentum 2 starting, +2 strong hit, +1 Hound, +1 Slayer -> 6 total
The last of Hedrin's assets - Combat Talent : Skirmisher and a foreshadowing that he might get Combat Talent : Shield-Bearer in the future, but I'm undecided on that at the momentAs Hedrin had expected, Triffain led him from the last of Lowstones farms to be attacked directly into the Ravaged Tanglewood that lay to the east.
The Ravaged Tanglewood is a troublesome site as per the Ironsworn Delve rules. To make progress, Hedrin must make the move Delve the Depths for which he is using caution and experience to do, making it a +wits roll.In no time at all, Triffain led Hedrin to a small clearing around a ruined cottage and after a quick snuffle around the ruin, the dog moved to the other side of the clearing, waiting. Hedrin had, however, decided to investigate the ruin. Its roof had completely collapsed blocking the door at its front and the two window spaces. At the rear, Hedrin found the doorway unblocked. As the thick dry-stone walls were still standing, Hedrin judged the ruin would make a passable redoubt should he need one. Fixing its location firmly in his mind, Hedrin whistled for Triffain to continue and followed him once more.
2 wits + 6 AD = 8 vs 2,5 -> strong hit; mark 3 progress (3/10) & Find an Opportunity
Each time Delve the Depths is done, I'll roll on the site's features to see where we are
Feature: 06 'Abandoned or ruined dwelling'
Find an Opportunity: 48 'You locate a secure area'
Another Delve the Depths, again with wits as Hedrin's approach has not changed
2 wits + 6 AD = 8 vs 1,7 -> strong hit mark 3 prog' (6/10) & Find an Opportunity
Feature: 01 'Path of destruction'
Find an Opportunity: 76 'You get the drop on a denizen'
I hadn't decide on the denizens for this site, but the Delve rule-book has a Ravaged Tanglewood in its sample sites (16 Smoldering [sic] Wood) so I used that site's list and rolled 33 Bear.
So Hedrin has the drop on a bear. I know how he intends to deal with it. First he'll Secure an Advantage using his experience of bears, so +wits again
2 wits + 4 AD = 6 vs 1,5; strong hit; Take Control, +1 on next move
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| Triffain 'pointing' |
Hedrin is trying to make the bear move away from the trail. I thought that this would be a Compel, but looking at that move and then Face Danger, the latter is more appropriate; also, this seems like a 'forceful defense [sic]' so it'll be +ironAs Hedrin and Triffain made their racket, the bear turned to face them with a baleful glare. Then, releasing what could only be called a 'half-hearted' roar, it shuffled away into the dead trees that lined this part of the trail, nonchalantly snapping branches the size of Hedrin's arm as it went.
3 iron + 1 SaA + 2 AD = 6 vs 4,8 -> weak hit; succeed, but at cost
Looking at the options, delayed seems the most appropriate, giving -1 momentum making it 5.
"Quiet now Triff," said Hedrin, then kneeling and making a fuss of him, saying "Good boy," as he did.
Over half-way through the site and the bear 'overcome', I'm going to mark progress on the Dangerous Iron Vow "I will slay the Blighthound that stalks Lowstone and receive fair payment", making it 2/10This is long enough for the first post, so I'll continue another time. I've decided to put the character sheet at the end of each post as a way to track progress. So far we've only met Hedrin, so it's only his for this post.
Delve the Depths again, still with wits
2 wits + 2 AD = 4 vs 1,4; weak hit; roll on Delve the Depths table
78 'Choose one: Mark progress or Find an Opportunity. Choose progress, now 9/10
Feature: 74 Brambles
Hedrin
Edge 1 : Heart 2 : Iron 3 : Shadow 1 : Wits 2
Health 5 : Spirit 5 : Supply 5 : Momentum 5 (max 10)
Edge 1 : Heart 2 : Iron 3 : Shadow 1 : Wits 2
Health 5 : Spirit 5 : Supply 5 : Momentum 5 (max 10)
Iron Vows:
- To be revealed
- "I will slay the Blighthound that stalks Lowstone and receive fair payment"*
Dangerous - progress 2/10
- Path: Slayer
- Companion : Hound (Sharp)
- Combat Talent : Skirmisher
- Fortune Hunter (group)