We had time before the þing so we will Sojourn again while waiting, (1, 7, 6+2). Strong hit again, perhaps I’ll be ready if this goes to a fight after all. With the sword no longer in his immediate possession and in the company of Knut’s family, I think Consort becomes appropriate and we’ll Recuperate again as well, gaining +2 to both Health and Spirit. Up to +5 and +4 respectively.
At the moment, there was no fire in Greybrook’s longhouse. The cold light of morning filtered in from openings in the roof above where smoke would normally escape. Perhaps the chill was intended to keep complaints and testimony short. Most of the Ironhold was present, a loose half circle formed facing the Thane and her husband. Auburn haired and auburn eyed, the Thane of Greybrook had the look of a fighter about her and was just a little board setting and listening to petty disputes. Her husband Erling seemed more interested but rarely did more than ask questions. A number of disputes came and went, over farming rites, a trade where one party felt cheated, and a wandering cow that was either stolen or was sent to destroy a garden depending on who was telling the tale.
Just before mid-morning, Thane Hella acknowledged Björn to come forward. “Björn, does your dispute have something to do with this raven-haired traveler that you’ve welcomed into your home?”
“Yes, my Thane.” The burly, silver haired man, touched the ring that encircled his right forearm. “He is Branwhyn, son of Hugh, and he brings news of my son Knut. As evidence of his testimony, I present this sword. You all know, that I trained Knut in my craft as a metal worker and that he would have inherited my forge in a few more years. Though rusted, this sword still bears his mark, just about the guard of the hilt.” The blacksmith presented the weapon to the Thane for examination. Hella took the sword, confirmed Knut’s mark, and passed the weapon to her husband Erling.
“Are you a Skulde?” Erling inquired, without looking up from the rusted blade. “You understand why I ask.”
Branwhyn understood all too well, even after many generations, the Ironlanders still feared and hated the Skulde who drove them from their ancestral home. He understood the reason and resented the reason. “I believe that I do understand. I am not a Skulde, though some of their blood does run in my veins. I have lived in the Ironlands my entire life and if I have ever met an actual Skulde, I do not know it.”
I’ve been thinking about how I was going to run this scene and I’ve decided to run it like a combat. Using Strike and Clash, but with Heart and Shadow instead. Any hits will be taken to Momentum and the narrative will determine Initiative. We’ll call it a Dangerous encounter and we have four rolls to make our case, at which point we’ll force an End of Fight for the resolution. A strong hit then will be a good outcome, weak will be mediocre and no one is completely happy, miss probably mean another Ironhold is going to try and kill Branwhyn. It seems like a good idea, we’ll see how it goes.
Editor’s Note: This mechanic is an early version of the Scene Challenge before Shawn Tomkin worked his magic and made the mechanics elegant. I am, however, inordinately proud that I had a small measure of inspiration for a mechanic in the system.
Erling’s question starts us on the defensive, so we’ll start with a Clash w/ Heart, since Branwhyn is speaking honestly. (10, 4, 6+2), Weak Hit. 1 Harm (not a lawyer so ‘fighting’ unarmed) for 2 Progress, but -2 Harm to Momentum, dropping us to +8. 1 of 4 rolls.
Erling nodded with understanding, if not approval, and handed the old weapon back to Björn. The murmur of questions rumbled through the gathered members of the Ironhold, as of yet uncertain what to make of the black haired outsider. Thane Hella held out a hand for silence and her people obeyed. “What news of Knut do you bring?”
“He is long dead. I encountered his restless spirit within the halls of the Watchtower of Ragnheiður.” There was a needful pause after those words as a series of dark whispers raced through the crowd. “He told me his name was Knut and that he once lived here in Greybrook. Just before he died, he had gone hunting with a man named Trond. There was an argument of some kind, over a woman that I do not know the name of. Trond killed Knut and cast his body from the hill to be broken on the ground below and to be disposed of by wild animals.”
So this is a Strike also w/ Heart. (7, 5, 2+2), Miss. If they don’t believe us here, I’m not sure how this is going to work, so we’ll burn our Momentum making the roll (7, 5, [8]), Strong Hit. It resets our Momentum to +2. With the +1 Harm, we deal 2 Harm, for 4 Progress, 6 Progress total. 2 of 4 rolls.
The news seemed to disturb the Thane, but she didn’t seem to think Branwhyn was lying either. She studied him for a long time, contemplating the implication of his words. At last, she looked to the gathered assembly behind him. “Trond, come forward. How do you respond to these words?”
Knut’s killer was a slender man, with wiry limbs and sharp eyes. His brown hair had a feather like quality to it and combined with his sharp features he seemed almost kin to a hawk. Far from a dispassionate mask, his face was reflective with more than a touch of guilt. “My Thane, I lied once to you about Knut, I cannot do so again. He was not dragged off by a mountain lion. I did kill him. He was beating his wife, my sister, Britta. She came to me in tears, many times, pleading for my help. Knut was my friend, my brother by marriage. I took him hunting so that we could talk. I thought I could reason with him. I couldn’t and it came to blows.”
Remember the problem with the Vow from last chapter? Well here it is. Knut beat his wife and was a generally terrible human being. That certainly puts Branwhyn’s argument on the defense, so this will be a Clash w/ Heart (1, 3, 3+2) Strong Hit. No sympathy for Trond, I guess. We’re doing pretty good, so I’ll take the +1 Momentum. 1 more Harm, 2 more progress, putting us up to 8. 3 or 4 rolls.
“If that is true,” Hella snapped angrily at Trond. “Then why did you not tell me that a year ago? Did you think I would not believe your words? Or Brittas? Or the bruises on her body? You owe me your oath and still you lied.”
“Forgive me for interrupting, Thane Hella.” The Thane’s auburn eyes flashed towards Branwhyn. Perhaps it would have been better to be silent, but the plight of these two families grieved him. There had been enough death and more killing was unlikely to make it any better. “I believe Trond’s words and I believe he lied to protect Knut’s memory. Trond took Knut hunting to resolve things peacefully and after Knut’s death, there was nothing to be gained by heaping shame upon the dead.”
Strike w/ Heart (5, 4, 3+2), A weak hit. 1 harm, 2 progress, just enough to move us to 10. End the Fight (9, 9, [10]). Strong Hit w/ a Twist, yet so close to being weak or possibly even a mss. Wacky. So, this is progress on the Vow: Put Wraith to Rest. That puts us to 6. I think I’ll roll on the Twist’s table this time. Oracle says: 35 – Someone returns unexpectedly. Oh . . . oh no.
The words seemed to calm Hella and she leaned back into her throne. “There is wisdom within you Branwhyn son of Hugh. This is my judgement, Björn’s only remaining son Caj, shall marry Britta for a year. If they produce a son, it shall be named Knut so his line may live on. After that time, if they are content to stay together so be it. If either wishes to separate after a year, let them do so peaceably. If anyone lays a hand upon Britta in anger, I will not be merciful. Trond, for lying to me, I should put you to death. Instead, as you have deprived Björn of a son, you will help to provide for his family until Caj and Britta’s firstborn comes of age. If any of their family goes without food or shelter, your kin had best be similarly deprived. As for Knut, he has already been killed for his crimes. My judgement is finished, let it be done as I have said.”
The temperature in the already cold room dropped below freezing and blue-white light rippled along the walls as the wraith Knut manifested, his right hand clenched around his rust pitted sword. The room exploded into chaos, with farmers fleeing, people panicking, and warden’s drawing iron.
So we are fighting a ghost after all. Enter the Fray w/ Heart, it is a matter of courage to face down a ghost. (3, 1, 4+2) Strong Hit. We’ll take the +2 Momentum, up to +5, and move to attack. Strike /w Iron (6, 4, 6+1) Strong Hit. Woot, on a roll it would seem. +1 Harm for 3 Harm, 6 progress against a dangerous foe. Strike again w/ Iron (7, 10, 1+1) Miss. That streak of strong hits was too good to last. We’ll split the two harm between Health and Spirit, knocking them down to +4 and +3 Respectively. Endure Harm w/ Health (8, 8, 1+4) Miss. Boo. -1 Momentum too. Test your Spirit w/ Spirit (5, 8, 6+3). Strong Hit. Embrace the Darkness to even out the Momentum loss.
“Trond killed me.” The wraith rasped angrily and a withered hand pointed towards the hawkish young man. “You will not escape my vengeance so easily.”
While wardens and warriors quailed in the presence of the ghost, their heart’s blood freezing in their veins, Branwhyn charged with axe in hand. Though there was no body to damage and no blood to draw from this foe, it did not mean it was beyond harm. Iron was the bane of the unholy and it could disrupt ghosts, if only temporarily. The axe met only small resistance as it sliced through Knut’s torso, leaving a swirling line of blue-white smoke to trail in the wake of the blow. The wraith countered, bringing it’s old rusted blade up in a quick slash that caught Branwhyn in the leg. The blow both opened flesh and frayed his spirit; he felt some of the warmth leave his body. “I swore to put you to rest Knut and I will do so by any means necessary, even I my spirit has to drag yours down to the underworld as you kill me.”
I think we should try and Turn the Tide (TtT) and try to magically Secure an Advantage w/ Wits +1 Mystic +1 TtT to build some momentum and get the initiative back. (5, 3, 1+3+1+1). Strong Hit. Barely. Okay, so +1 Momentum from Turn the Tide. +1 from getting a hit with Mystic (which I almost always forget). That takes us up to +7 Momentum. We’ll follow it up with a Strike w/ Iron +1 from Advantage. (5, 3, 5+1+1) Strong Hit. That is another 3 damage, 6 progress, takes us over the cap of 10. We’ll move to End the Fight (2, 4, [10]) Strong Hit. We’re done. I know it’s close to last time, but this also progress on the Vow: Put the Wraith to Rest. 2 more brings us up to 8.
Editor’s Note: The Secure an Advantage above is a bit strange and is the result of having the old Mystic Path. Between writing and editing, the path was updated to Sighted and the mechanics of scene shouldn’t work anymore. I’m leaving it though as an artifact of play testing changes. That and I’m lazy and don’t want to rewrite stuff.
His black hair and grey eyes marked him as having Skulde blood, but there was no outward sign of the other legacy that flowed in his veins. The blood of the Old Ones was his heritage as well an that blood held memories and power. With half lidded eyes, he spoke one of those words of power, the fingers of his left hand drawing runes of power in the air, and the wraith Knut was fettered and bound for a moment. In form Knut could not move, but more importantly the hearts of those in the longhall were no longer quelled by the ghosts malevolent presence. The wardens, with their Thane at the lead, fell upon the wraith with blades and axes of iron. It was Knut’s own father though, Björn, who tore the rust pitted sword from ghostly fingers and plunged it through the ethereal body.
The ghost light faded from the longhall and left the host with adrenaline filled bodies and no enemy to lose it upon. They were left to wonder and question what they had just seen as a small measure of warmth returned to longhall.
Stripped down to the waste, Branwhyn worked the bellows. He knew nothing of metal working, but bellows were a purely manual task and done at the command of the smith. It was his way of helping without being a hindrance. Björn and Caj, father and son, worked hammer and tongs. They had beaten the old rusted blade as clean of rust as possible before melting it down once more and letting the impurities rise to the top. Smithing was truly a labor, but there was something cleansing about it as well. The hope was that by reforging the old blade that Knut seemed to bound to, that his spirit would be able to rest. He had clearly been unsatisfied with the judgment of Thane Hella. In the end, only time would tell.
As Branwhyn isn’t doing the work, I’m going to your Aid Your Ally w/ Iron roll. It seems most appropriate and Iron simply because this is a physical task. Maybe this shouldn’t even be a roll, but this is one more step in the vow and it doesn’t feel fair to do that simply with narrative. Actually, I’ve changed my mind. This should be a Fulfill the Vow roll. Yes progress is only eight, but the fiction says this is done. It also leaves the chance that Wraith Knut is still out there, which given the fiction so far, that seems a possibility. So, Fulfill the Vow (4, 6, [8]), Strong Hit. Gain 2 xp. It looks like Knut is at peace after all. With the Vow done, I also want to Forge a Bond with Björn. Given that we just did a Vow that benefits him, we get to reroll dice if we want. So, our first Forge a Bond (6, 7, 5+2+1), Strong Hit, no rerolls needed. Our Momentum is pretty good, so we’ll take the +1 Spirit instead. Up to +4 Spirit
Steam billowed and water hissed as Björn dipped the new weapon, held with tongs, into the water barrel. Pulling it out again, Branwhyn could see the long and narrow leaf shaped blade with the strong wing crossbar just below. “It will be a fine spearhead for you.” The old smith said with a smile.
~fin~
Editor’s Note: Below is a snapshot of Branwhyn at this point in time. I’m leaving it primarily because the assets in Ironsworn looked and operated a bit differently when these chapters were being written. As an example, Visage’s mechanics have been changed and the Mystic path doesn’t exist anymore.
Branwhyn ap Hugh
Health +4 Spirit +4 Supply +4 Momentum +7 XP: 3
Edges:1, Iron: 1, Heart: 2, Shadow: 2, Wits: 3
Assets:
Mystic [Path]: When you use your knowledge of mystical forces or rituals to Gather Information or Secure an Advantage, add +1 and take +1 momentum on a hit.
Visage [Ritual]: When you paint on a mask in blood and ash, roll +wits. On a strong hit, choose two. On a weak hit, choose one and the wearer suffers -1 spirit. The effects last for several hours.
• Protected: when you Face Death, add +1.
• Menacing: when you use intimidation or fear to Compel or Secure an Advantage, add +1.
• Shadowed: when you Face Danger by hiding or sneaking, add +1
Augur [Ritual]: When you summon a murder of crows and ask a single question, roll +wits. On a strong hit, you interpret their calls as a helpful omen. Envision the response (Ask the Oracle if unsure) and take +2 momentum. On a weak hit, the crows ignore your question and offer a clue to an unrelated problem or opportunity in this area. Envision what you learn (Ask the Oracle), and take +1 momentum if you act on this information.
Wayfarer Stories 