Home, Tested

With Kova leaving Papyli theoretically for good, I think that it's time to Test Your Bond: a weak hit! "Your bond is fragile and you must prove your loyalty." I think it's Likely that Kova decides to forego her bond with that place entirely -- her connections to it gone. Let me Ask the Oracle: Yes, she decides to let go of this bond. That means I clear the bond and Pay the Price: Something of value is lost or destroyed. I think this is something metaphysical more than something physical. Maybe an aspect of Kova's connection to the rest of the Ironlanders? I like that. She's feeling like a lone-wolf right now, just her and her giant pet spider. Still, it's a significant shift. I'm going to Endure Stress: Miss. I suffer -1 Spirit and -1 Momentum.

Kova travels through the night, getting away from Fjoll with the Direshame. She gets a league away, with the Torradsson Longhouse being on the edges of the village. I'm going to say that that qualifies as a milestone with regards to her Bond with 👤Shekhar to get the Direshame away from her village. That fills up that progress bar, so I'll Fulfill My Vow: Of course, a Strong Hit. For a Dangerous Vow, that's 2 Experience. In addition, I Reach my Destination: a Strong Hit. I can make another Move now adding +1, or I can gain +1 Momentum. I think I'll take the Momentum as I'm currently at -1, bringing me to 0.

As the sun rises, Kova Makes Camp: A strong hit, with a match! That means a twist, complication, or opportunity happens. Let me first choose two from the Make Camp move: I'll Recuperate, regaining 1 Health, and I'll Partake, regaining 1 Health but suffering -1 Supply. I'm back up to 4/5 Health, but down to 1 Spirit and 1 Supply. I should make my way to the next settlement soon. But first, I gain an opportunity. Let me roll on the Oracle's Overland Opportunities table: "Something about this journey sparks a fond or helpful memory."

Onward to Frosthaven

I don't think this is the first time that Kova has needed to abandon a home. I think it reminds her of a lover from a previous settlement, maybe just the last one that she was in, before Papyli, to the North. Maybe they treated her well there, but some tragedy forced her to leave. Let me roll it:
Name: Frosthaven
Type: Hamlet
Condition: Abandoned
Disposition: Friendly
First Look: Prisoners or dead on display

That Abandoned entry is really interesting. Maybe it's been abandoned since Kova was there last? Or maybe it's in the ruins of an abandoned Firstborn settlement? I'll figure that out when I get there. I'll roll on the Distance table to decide how far away it is: Far. I'll be Undertaking a Journey to get there then.

In addition, I don't want the Torradsson family to just abandon their search for me. I think I'll make Wulan Torradsson a Threat, meaning I should Swear an Iron Vow that is associated with that Threat. I think the Vow will be, "Keep the Direshame out of Fjoll": I got a Weak Hit. That means I "begin [my] quest with more questions than answers," and take +1 Momentum. That first bit means, I think, that Kova doesn't know that Frosthaven has been abandoned. Frosthaven's First Look roll also results in something interesting: perhaps they were raided by a Monstrosity, left on display. We'll figure out the specifics when we get there.

I'd say there are three landmarks between Kova's current location and Frosthaven. I'll roll my Wits for the Undertake a Journey: a Weak Hit. I reach the waypoint and mark progress, but suffer -1 Supply. I'm all out of Supplies.

Let me first roll the Out of Supply move: I mark Unprepared. Then, I'll roll for the Waypoint: "A ford or ferry marks a river crossing." I am near a river, so I can take this boat for a hex. Ferries by nature go from one place to another, so let me roll a settlement to arrive to on the other side. Perhaps this is a smaller settlement, a farm or something:
Name: Greatbrook Farm
Type: Farm (originally rolled Village, but the narrative calls for something smaller)
Condition: Wretched
Disposition: Friendly
First Look: Loud laughter or merrymaking

A wretched farm is interesting. With only one Spirit, I'm unsure that Kova is interested in loud laughter and merrymaking, getting there as night falls. I rolled Friendly, but Kova doesn't know that. The fact that the place is Wretched also does not inspire confidence. I think she sneaks into the barn, choosing to sleep there for the night. I'll roll Face Danger, with Shadow: A weak hit. I succeed, but face a troublesome cost. I lose 1 Momentum, and I think I am caught by someone who lives on the farm. Let me roll them up to see what their reaction is:
Name: Rhian
Role: Miner
Goal: Create an item
Descriptor: Resourceful
First Look: Visibly disabled
Disposition: Wanting

Rhian the Miner

Rhian the Miner works at the nearby Wynne Mine, harvesting silver for to trade with the local settlements. He rents a room from the Greatbrook Family, paying them in occasional labor, silver, and mead. He has a goal of creating an item. Let me roll on the Action and Theme tables to get an idea of what that item is: Learn and Community. I think that he wants to create a means of translating Firstborn writing, from ruins found underground, into Ironlander. With a disposition of Wanting, I think he may want Kova's help with this. The implication is that he'll tell the higher-ups about me if I don't help him,m and that that won't go well for me.

What help can Kova provide with this? Let's roll Gather Information to find out if even Rhian knows: I got a Strong Hit; I discover something helpful and specific. The path I must follow or action I must take to make progress is made clear, and I gain +2 Momentum. Let's Ask the Oracle to find out what help I can provide, using the Story Clue table: "Involves a hidden or mysterious person." He wants me to ask a Firstborn directly, maybe believing that because of my Skulde bloodline they'll be more willing to talk to me. He holds a piece of iron out. I touch it, Swearing an Iron Vow: A weak hit; I am determined to begin my quest with more questions than answers, gaining 1 Momentum.

In order to find a path forward, I'm going to Begin the Scene. I'm putting this scene at Formidable, as I don't really know where to begin. I guess I can go into the woods to the West? That's where 🧝‍♀️Elves live, right?

On the other hand, I could Forsake my Vow, trying my chances with the higher-ups on the farm. Then again, my Spirit is so low, that I think I'm kind of looking for guidance on what to do next. Perhaps a Firstborn will give me that guidance? Then again, I've never heard of anyone who sought a Firstborn finding one... They tend to only show their faces when it serves them.

Still, I venture into the woods to the west. That takes a few hours. Along the way, I'll Resupply: a miss; I Pay the Price: I get a 100, meaning I roll twice and both results happen. I got "A person or community you trusted loses faith in you, or acts against you." and "It is stressful." Who does Kova trust at this point? Rhian, to a point. 👤Shekhar, sort of. Perhaps 👤Shekhar betrayed her, worsening the Threat of Wulan? Sure, let's go with that.

In addition, I'll roll for the Stress: I'm down to 0 Spirit. I miss, suffering -1 Momentum and, since I'm at 0 Spirit, marking Shaken or Corrupted, or roll on the Stress Outcome table. I'll mark Shaken. I now have both Shaken and Unprepared marked -- I could really use a Sojourn!

Now, back to the Threat:

I use the move Advance a Threat: The Threat makes a dramatic and immediate move. I mark its track twice, and something happens. Let's Ask the Oracle to decide what form that takes: On the Action table, I rolled Take. On the Overland Peril table, I rolled You encounter a monstrous beast. Our first Monstrosity, perhaps one trained by the Torradssons. Let me roll for its attributes:
Size: Large (giant-sized)
Challenge Rank: Formidable
Primary Form: Spider
Characteristics: Distinctive sound, Wings, Mandibles/Pincers
Ability: Horrid visage, Intimidating vocalization, Keen senses, Symbiotic

A ginormous spider with a horrid visage and a distinctive sound. It can see better in the dark of the forest than I can. I imagine its pedipalps make horrible chittering noises as it clicks its fangs together. It carries upon its back hundreds of babies -- They share in its meals, and aid it in subduing eThis thing is much bigger than 🕸Illugi -- he's only as big as a dog. This thing is the size of a bus. It stalks me through the woods, smelling my Skulde blood and the Direshame I carry. I haven't noticed it yet.

It's definitely noticed me.
End of Session Two
Session 3: Third Session -- 06-01-26