Guest Post: Alex's Ironsworn Journal - Chapter 7 - Wyrmskull Depths

Continuing my brother Alex's Ironsworn campaign journal.

Chapter 7: Wyrmskull Depths 

Ahead of them, its back to them as it drinks from a pool where water trickles in from above, is a massive and hulking reptile. Bony antlers rise from its head. Two more passages come off from the chamber, and one of them is the way the map says they must go. 

They retreat and study the map more closely. 

Is there another path that bypasses this cave? 

Using a PbtA-style 2d6 roll for this: 6 -- no

The map is clear. There's no way to the heart of this place where the source of the cultists' power rests, without going through this cave. They decide to wait and see which way the creature goes when it finishes drinking. If it leaves down one of the other passages they can simply go the other way. If it turns towards them they will need to backtrack quickly and quietly. A gamble, but less of one than trying to sneak past or fight this thing. 

Does the creature leave through one of the other exits? 60/40 -- no! 

It finishes drinking and turns its lumbering frame around - towards the passage where Varro and the others are waiting! They turn and move as quickly and quietly as they can, getting around the bend in the passage and hurrying back the way they came. If they can retrace their steps to the massive cavern with the stone spires then perhaps they can go unseen by the creature. 

Face Danger +Shadow: Miss

Pay the Price: you are separated from someone or something 

How many of Varro's companions is he separated from? d4: 3

They make it as far as the last small cave they passed through, and then suddenly Torrens stumbles, utters a stifled cry as he falls to his knee, and the lantern they had found falls from his hand and goes out. There is a roar from behind them and the heavy footfalls of the creature echo down the passage. It is charging towards them, and now they are in darkness. 

There is a confusion of cries and stumbling in the dark among the five adventurers, and then Varro is running. Someone is running at his side. The creature's stomping and roaring is behind him. After a little while he sees a light ahead: the flickering torch glow of the lights that were mounted on the stone spires. He emerges into their light with Bataar at his side - and no one else. The three from Sova must have taken a different passageway in the darkness. 

Varro and Bataar look at one another, both frightened. The sound of the monster's footfalls can no longer be heard. But if they stay here they will either be discovered by whatever cultists Qamar worked with, or killed by the creature once it finishes with Sadia and the others. They must go back in, find the creature before it's too late and do what they can to overcome it. 

Check your Gear: strong hit 

Luckily, Varro had brought a spare torch from Sova. He lights it now, hands it to Bataar who raises it high alongside his sword, and they advance back into the tunnels. 

Before long they hear another roar from the creature, and then a cry of anguish. They do their best to head towards it through the confusing net of passages. 

Gather Information: weak hit 

How many of our allies has the thing killed before we arrive? d3 -- 2 

Enter the Fray +Shadow: weak hit

Bolster position: +2 momentum 

They follow the sound of battle to a cavern that dips steeply down. Below them is the creature, a lizard the size of a grizzly bear and crowned with vicious antlers, and it is rising on its hind legs above Sadia, who has drawn her sword but can only now see the thing as Bataar's torchlight illuminates the space. The inert bodies of Torrens and Glyn lie on the ground. 

Secure an Advantage +Heart: strong hit, +1 on next move

With a sudden burst of reckless courage, Varro leaps from the ledge on which he stands and lands on the monster's back. He grips both its antlers and wrenches its head back. "Strike now, Sadia!" he shouts. 

Strike +Iron: miss -- burn momentum -- weak hit 

Sadia slashes wildly at the thing, half-blinded from the sudden light, but catches it on the leg. It shakes its head violently, and Varro loses his grip on its antlers. 

Face Danger +Edge: weak hit -- -1 momentum 

Varro is thrown to the ground. He manages to roll as he lands and isn't hurt, but takes a moment getting to his feet. Meanwhile Bataar makes his way down from the ledge, and the three of them do their best to surround the creature as it roars once more with new fury. 

Clash +Edge: miss 

Endure Harm: weak hit 

-3 Health 

It turns to Varro, lowers its head and charges. He almost avoids it, but its antler snags his coat and it sends him flying and crashing into the wall. The other two rush up behind it to attack. 

Secure an Advantage +Edge: weak hit, +1 momentum 

Varro scrambles to his feet and begins using his staff spear-like to try to give the others an opening. 

Clash, Long-Arm: miss 

It knocks aside his staff with its antlers, easily, and swipes at Bataar with its big front claw, forcing him to retreat. The furious melee continues. 

Clash, Long-arm: weak hit 

Pay the Price: it is harmful 

Bataar is battered and bruised. 

Clash, Long-arm: miss

Sadia is knocked to the ground. 

Clash, Long-arm: weak hit

Pay the Price: puts you at a disadvantage 

The creature is a relentless ball of fury, stamping, clawing and hurling the three around with its antlers. Varro looks desperately about for some kind of advantage.

Oracle: is there any way we might survive this? 

capture danger 

By the passage leading out of the cave there is a large, tumbled stack of rock, full of crevices and jutting crags. A desperate idea enters Varro's mind, and he begins poking and goading the monster with his staff. He will need to be bold and quick...

Secure an Advantage +Edge: weak hit, +1 momentum 

He gets its attention and it turns to him, lowers its antlers and begins to charge. He has positioned himself just so, and he darts backwards and leaps behind the tumble of rocks. His timing is right, and the beast has too much momentum to stop. It crashes into the rocks, causing some of them to fall, and its antler to get stuck in one of the crevices. It roars with rage and starts trying to shake itself free. They can all see it won't be held here for long, and they rush out of the cavern and into the passage that leads deeper into the tunnels. 

The three of them race wildly down the tunnels, in the direction of the cave with the pool where they first saw the antlered reptile. Perhaps they would be wiser to flee, but they have sworn on iron and Torrens and Glyn have died for their vow. There is no turning back. 

Delve the Depths +Edge: weak hit -- mark progress, reveal a danger 

Reveal a Danger: denizen defends their sanctum 

Denizen roll: zealots 

They emerge into another large cavern, this one lit by torches and bisected by a wooden fence. Beyond the fence is a stone archway carved with the snarling faces of wolves and bears. Before the fence are a group of men and women dressed in furs. Four of them sit cross-legged on the ground, while one - an aged man whose face bears the jaws-and-cross symbol now familiar to Varro - stands before them delivering some kind of lecture. 

They turn to face Varro and the others, and each draws a long and wicked knife. 

"As the spirits told us, those of us who have not seen the truth will come to us where we worship, and seek to defile our sanctums," says the old man. "After we kill them, my students, you shall have the honour of cutting out their organs and consuming them, that you might know a little of the feral glory that animates the spirits." 

"Wait!" cries Varro. "We are not here to defile, but to learn. We have come from Sova to seek to be inducted into the mysteries of the spirits, for we have seen that we mere men and women are too weak to withstand the harshness of the Ironlands." 

The cultists pause and look to the old man, uncertain. Varro continues his barrage of words, launching into a tale of how the previous winter killed a dozen villagers and how he had watched a pack of wolves as they moved through the snow so gracefully and without fear, and had seen the foolishness of the ways of the Ironlanders. By the time he finishes talking, as he hoped, he can hear  faintly the sound of heavy footfalls in the passage behind him. 

Compel +Shadow, Storyweaver: weak hit 

The old man peers at Varro. "Give thanks, my students, for here we have three more who have seen the truth and seek to join us. Let us do as they ask and induct them. Bare your arm to me, wise boy, and I will mark you with the sign of the Elder Wolf, that she will know your obeisance and spare you the death she will bring to others of your kind." 

The sound of footfalls is louder now. Some of the younger cultists seem to hear it, and glance nervously at one another. 

"Come, give me your arm." The old man steps forward, his knife raised. Varro glances at Bataar, who gives him a subtle nod. Sadia's hand creeps towards the iron hook that hangs at her side. Varro steps forward. The old man's eyes widen as he finally hears the pounding steps of what is coming. He steps back. "What trickery is this?" he cries. 

Clash, Long-arm: weak hit

With a practiced motion, Varro brings his staff around in a sudden arc that clips the old cultist on the skull, dazing him. Varro dashes past him, swinging the staff defensively at the others as he goes. Sadia and Bataar have drawn their weapons and are advancing, and the younger cultists are raising their daggers and getting ready to fight when a mighty, deafening roar fills the cavern and then the antlered reptile beast is charging forward at the cluster of people. 

Face Danger +Edge: miss

Varro and Bataar run past the suddenly panicking cultists and reach the fence. Varro plants his staff on the ground and uses it to help him climb the fence, then extends his hand to help Bataar up, and they scramble over and drop to the other side. Behind them, the antlered beast gores the old man and flings him aside. The others scatter and flee, except for one, who has stood his ground and is blocking Sadia's path. 

"Go!" shouts Sadia. "Find the source of their power! Finish this!" 

With a brief prayer for her, the two of them run towards the dark stone archway, and the ancient wyrm skull that awaits them there. 

Locate Your Objective: strong hit, momentum +1