• Being Hunted

    The Torradsson Spider hunts me. I have not noticed it yet, but it has noticed me. We both search for something in these woods, and only one of us will get what we search for. I'm going to Gather Information to see if I notice that I am being hunted: A Strong Hit! I discover something helpful and specific, and gain +2 Momentum.

    I'm going to take the opportunity to Secure an Advantage, with Shadow to try to convince the Torradsson Spider that I still don't know it is hunting me: Another Strong Hit! I'm going to Take Control, allowing me to make another move and add +1. I'll choose Face Danger, again with Shadow: Wow, another Strong Hit! I take another Momentum, and I am successful in facing the danger. Just as the monstrosity is about to strike, I wield my axe, Lifecarver, and lash out against it.

    We Enter the Fray, I'll roll with Shadow: A Strong Hit! I gain 2 Momentum, and start with the Initiative. I still don't think I can beat this thing, but I'm going to try to wound it and get out of here. I Strike: a miss, had to happen sometime. I Pay the Price: "Something of value is lost or destroyed." My bracers came from my father. The Torradsson Spider's fang rips the one on my good arm. Now it's personal.

    We Clash: a Weak Hit! I inflict my harm, the enemy keeps Initiative, and I must Pay the Price: "The current situation worsens." I think at this point I notice the babies on the Torradsson Spider's back and realize I am vastly outnumbered.

    We Clash: a Strong Hit, with a match! A twist, complication, or opportunity arrives. I inflict my harm, and can choose to gain 1 Momentum or deal an additional harm. I'll choose the latter. In addition, I gain the Initiative. I land a lucky hit, slicing off one of the horrid thing's fangs. It cries out in horrible pain.

    For the match: I rolled on the Action + Theme tables, and got Strengthen + Fellowship. I think that means that Illugi, the strongest fellowship I have right now, helps. I'll say that he bites the larger spider for 1 Harm.

    Having the Initiative, I Strike: A miss, just my luck. My attack fails and I must Pay the Price: "It wastes resources." It slices my pack open, resulting in the last of my food falling out onto the webbed floor. I make the Out of Supply move again, this time losing Health as I'm out of both Spirit and Supply. I lose the Initiative due to the miss.

    We Clash: A weak hit. I inflict my harm, but must Pay the Price: "It is harmful." I'll make the Endure Harm move: I suffer two Health, bringing me down to 1. Then, I roll +Iron: A Strong Hit! I'm going to Shake it Off, suffering -1 Momentum in exchange for one health. The spider gets a good hit in, nearly injecting me with its venom. My arm screams with the pain.

    I need to get out of here.

    I'm going to Turn the Tide, stealing Initiative from my foe. I get to make a Move, adding +1. That move will be Secure an Advantage, rolling with Shadow as I attempt to run into the woods: A miss, but I can burn a Momentum to improve that to a Weak Hit. I succeed, but face a troublesome cost: You are delayed, lose advantage, or face a new danger: Suffer -1 momentum. I am now at -1 momentum.

    I try to cut between two trees too close together for the monstrosity to make its way through. As it attempts to force its way between them, its young crawl off its back toward me. I climb another tree just past the narrow path, as high up as I can, my advantage being the distance from the ground. Illugi gets trapped in a squabble with one of the young, I roll the Companion Endure Harm move: A strong hit! Illugi rallies, regaining 1 health.

    Finally, the Torradsson Spider breaks through, the trees creaking as they are pulled up from their roots. I roll to End the Fight, a plunging attack from the branches above: a Weak Hit. I choose, "Others won't forget: You are marked for vengeance." There is no chance that this kills the monster, but I have forced it to flee for now. The Torradsson Threat advances: "The threat works subtly to advance toward its goal, or the danger escalates. Mark menace." This threat is now at 8 of 10 boxes ticked.

  • Meeting With the Firstborn

    With the Torradsson Spider gone, the Firstborn are much more likely to come out and talk to me, I think. I roll the Reach a Milestone move, marking 3 Progress on my Vow to Rhian.

    I am going to roll the Gather Information move to search the area for any signs of Elves: a Strong Hit! I discover something helpful and specific. Rolling on the Story Clue table, I get: "Involves a person or community from my background."

    The Skulde are half-Elves, born from a sect of Elves that ventured from the cursed Ironlands to The Old World millennia ago. I think they co-mingled with some of the inhabitants of The Old World and over the years the last Elves died out to a sickness that the Skulde were immune too. That's why Elves are more likely to talk to the Skuldeborn.

    I walk for a long, long time. The forest begins to loop on itself, I begin marking trees to ensure I understand the path. I Ask the Oracle for a Mystic Effect that I experience denoting that an Elf has seen me: "Alter the flow of time". I find a tree I am sure that I marked, but the mark isn't there anymore. It's like I've come back around before I ever arrived.

    I roll the Compel move, attempting to persuade the Elf to talk to me. I roll +Iron, as I'm trying to incite their ire. "Don't you want to face a banished one back upon your shores?!": a Strong Hit! I gain 1 momentum, and get to roll the Gather Information move with +1: a Strong Hit, with a match, inviting a twist, complication, or opportunity!

  • A Prophecy

    I rolled on the Plot Twist and Overland Opportunity tables, getting: "Your actions benefit an enemy" and "A helpful traveler crosses your path" respectively. I don't see how this could benefit the Torradsson family, so I think the enemy is in fact the Firstborn. The traveler, then, must be an Elf. Let me roll them up:
    Elf Name: Sutahe
    Role: Forager
    Goal: Avenge a wrong
    Descriptor: Critical
    First Look: Ghostly
    Disposition: Unfriendly

    If an Elven Forager does not wish for you to find them, you never will. Sutahe clearly wanted me to find her for one reason or another. She was Compeled successfully earlier, so she will at least give me some information, even if she is unfriendly and critical about it.

    Sutahe
    I was expecting you to be taller.
    Kova Lensdatter
    I was expecting you to be harder to find.
    You found me because I wanted you too. Don't overestimate yourself.
    Right, sure. Why did you want me to find you?
    You walk a treacherous path, Skuldeborne. You have begun a chain of events that not even we can see the true end of.
    You wanted to give me a warning?
    And to ensure you understood the gravity of what you have set in motion.
    And if I abandon it?
    We both know you won't do that. You're Ironsworn. Not even to mention your stubbornness streak. That's just not what you do.
    You're... probably right.
    Hold that ax and crown close. There are many who search for them, and now that they are together, they paint an even larger target upon your back.
    I'll be careful.
    Be more than careful. Trust no one. Believe no living soul. If you must put your faith in anyone, put it in the dead.
    I know a Ritual--
    We know you do. Goodbye, Skuldeborne.

    In a flash of light, I find myself back on the edge of the forest. Greatbrook Farm is just over that hill. I've met an Elf though, so I Reach a Milestone: I mark 3 Progress on my Vow with Rhian. That said, I think I'm going to roll Forsake Your Vow, as I believe I have bigger fish to fry than this, and I need the help of this farm. I Endure Stress: a Strong Hit. I Embrace the Darkness, gaining 1 Momentum. In addition, I lose 1 Spirit; as I had 0 Spirit, I instead lose 1 Health. I'm down to 1 Health.

    I limp to the farm. Those inside continue to laugh and make merry. I hope they are as happy to see me as they seem to be with their mead.
    End of Session 3
    Session 4: Fourth Session --