Lone Horizons

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 th...

Continuing my brother Alex's Ironsworn campaign journal. Chapter 6: A Traitor’s Death  Pay the Price for discovering Wyrmskull Depths: a new danger or foe is revealed.  What does this foe want? Clash secret -- protect the secret, using violence.  Varro and Bataar stand up after swearing their vow. There is silence, except for a murmuring from outside the cave. They turn and look - just in time to see one of the woodcutters standing up from a kneeling position in the mouth of the cave. His murmurs rise to a shout as he lunges at the nearest person - Gethin.  Does Gethin survive? 50/50 -- no.  A dagger has appeared in the man's hand, and as he plunges it into Gethin's throat he cries "Come, beasts of the Deep Wilds! Claim your right of dominion!"  There is utter confusion in the cave, and as the traitor darts away into the woods, wolves appear in the cave entrance, snarling and vicious.  "To arms!" yells Bataar.  Enter the Fray +Wits: strong hit Var...

Continuing guest host Alex's Ironsworn campaign journal. Chapter 5: Spiders of Sova The next morning, Varro heads to the west gate, where the Merlo Bridge spans the river. The road continues south alongside the river, but there is also the faintest suggestion of a path leading west into the Deep Wilds.  Bataar meets him at the bridge, dressed in a nondescript tunic and hooded cloak. He doesn't want any of his superiors in the Wardens to know what he's up to, Varro supposes.  They are not as well prepared for a trip into that dark and strange forest as Varro would like, but they are both low on coin. They will just need to keep their wits about them. Bataar explains that he had a mysterious fever when he was a child, and when all the town's healers failed to help him, Tamara in desperation took him to Okoth. How she knew the way, she never said, but Bataar thinks he remembers the landmarks well enough: the path west as far as the tiny logging village of Sova, then the lo...

Continuing guest host Alex's Ironsworn campaign journal. Chapter 4: A Promise After patching up his wound as best he can, Varro continues through Strangled Valley to where the river bends around to the west towards the plains.  Undertake a Journey: weak hit He comes to Green Bridge, the ruins of a stone bridge across the river, named for the dense foliage that has grown over it. The sun is going down, and he makes camp.  Make Camp: strong hit  recuperate: +1 health prepare: +1 to Undertake a Journey  He puts a fresh poultice on his arrow wound. It doesn't seem to be infected, although it still hurts. He packs his things carefully and sets off at dawn.  Undertake a Journey: weak hit Reach Your Destination: strong hit He spends the whole next day walking, and at dusk finds himself approaching the fork where the Kenning is joined by the Mistwater, and there sits Merlo in the fork.  He has been here only once before, as a child. There are more houses, more peop...