Session Start
Health: +5
Spirit: +5
Supply: +4
Momentum: +2
Tethered: Nabuma village
Deshi sets out in a North Easterly direction. It only takes a couple of hours before the ground slopes upward and what started as a brisk walk becomes an uphill trudge. From the top of this first hill he can see a broken sky, and makes a mental note that he'll need to keep an eye on potential spots to shelter if the weather breaks. The path opens before him as the hill gently slopes downward to the foot of the next hill a mile away.
Undertake a Journey + Wits: Weak Hit, -1 Supply (+3).
Journey to Heathlands: Troublesome
*** _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Reach Waypoint: Wild Rapids
Straightforward narrative here. Rapids are an easy place to lose supply.
Deshi sees a fast-running river about halfway to the next hill. As he approaches he remembers fording this river last time he travelled to the heathlands. There are large stones blanced across the fifteen or twenty foot span that can be used by those who don't want to get soaked to the knee with freezing water. The river has obviously been slowly removing the soil that holds them steady because two or three steps from the other side one of the stones gives way and Deshi is forced to lunge to the far bank. There's no danger of drowning but his bag is soaked, and he spends 5 minutes picking through some of the ruined provisions, eating anything that looks like it now won't keep and throwing anything beyond rescue into the rushing water. "Should have just waded, idiot" he mutters.
Undertake a Journey + Wits: Miss, Pay the Price
Action/Theme: Defend / Bond
I decide to use the action and theme Oracles to give me some inspiration for my Pay the price move rather than the pay the price table. I decide that the price relates to my ability to defend my bonded settlement.
As Deshi shivers his way up the next hill with wet feet he remembers the little pack of dried Moonwort tucked into his pocket to help identify the plant when he reaches the heath. His hand rubs painfully cold against his soaking wet travel cloak as he fishes around for the tiny linen parcel and finds it disintegrated, with the Moonwort little more than a green slime coating the inside of the wrapping. He takes a moment to direct a couple of carefully chosen swear words at the sky and wonders what he did to Eir lately to merit this extra little test. He stuffs the linen back into his pocket, unable to bring himself to waste good material even if the contents are now useless, and carries on up the hill a little less hopeful than he was before.
-1 Spirit (+4)
The loss of Moonwort is purely narrative, but rather than take a point of supply I decide that mechanically my price will be a loss of spirit as it starts to look like this journey is conspiring against Deshi.
Cresting the next hill, Deshi sees a welcome stretch of flat walking over solid ground. He aims for a stand of trees in the distance that will take him in roughly the right direction, puts his head down, and tries to pick up the pace.
Undertake a Journey + Wits: Strong Hit. Make progress. -1 Supply (+2), +1 Momentum (+3)
Journey to Heathlands: Troublesome
****** _ _ _ _
Reach Waypoint: Strange Lake
What's strange about the Lake? My land is supposed to be dotted with mysterious Iron columns, time to introduce another one.
Deshi reaches the trees and sees the lake stretching to the East, confirming that he's on the right path. And if he's remembered correctly, there's something here that he wants to visit...
Rising from the Western shore of the lake is a large black iron obelisk set firmly into the ground. It looks very out of place surrounded by nature and he wonders again, as he did last time, why no settlement had grown up around this iron monument. Especially given its proximity to fresh water. A small mystery, and one he won't solve today.
Deshi takes a moment to place a hand on the hard iron surface, lay his forhead against the cold metal, and renew his vow to heal his friend and Overseer Shekhar. He lifts his eyes feeling slightly renewed by the ritual, but his visage darkens as his eyes meet the clouded sky which is looking more brooding than ever. No time for rest then.
Deshi fishes around in his satchel and pulls out a small stoppered bottle of Elderberry wine from his dwindling provisions. With pang of regret, he pours out half at the foot of the obelisk and takes a good swig of what's left before placing the bottle back into his pack. Whatever spirits guard this place, they'd better appreciate that little sacrifice. Turning, Deshi heads toward the next upward slope his eyes deliberately avoiding the growing cloud above.
Undertake a Journey + Wits: Miss, with matched 8s.Waylaid by a perilous event.
Pay the Price: It wastes resources
Action / Theme: Take / Resource
Sometimes the Oracles just gang up on you. Rolling a match on the challenge dice triggers a twist or complication. Common practice among those who play Ironsworn is to envision a positive event for a match on a strong hit and a negative event for a match on a miss, and to scale the event to the number rolled. So matched 10s would be the worst roll in the game, and would result in something catastrophic happening. Matched 1s would result in something highly beneficial.
8 is bad, but not terrible. Given the Oracle results I feel that narratively I'm being signposted a pretty clear message about the nature of the price I'll be paying.
Eyes down was a mistake. The dangerous creatures usually don't come this far down toward the Ragged Coast and bandits usually stick to the roads, but there's no such thing as safe travel in the Ironlands. As Deshi passes through a field of large rocks deposited apparently by Gods, giants or the raw fury of the elements on the next large plateau, he hears the creak of a bow being drawn and looks up to find himself face to face with a small group of rough looking men and women.Their hideout must be nearby since there's no profit to bandits hanging round the middle of nowhere. These hills must be full of caves.
They take almost everything he has left, leaving him half a water-damaged loaf and what's left of his waterskin. Deshi takes a moment of pleasure remembering the wine he poured out onto the ground an hour ago - better to give it to the dirt than these scum - but keeps his face carefully neutral. Adding insult to injury, his attackers bind his arms and legs and leave him helpless on the path as they head back to whatever hole keeps the rain off their heads. It's lucky they didn't kill him really, they must know he'll be back here with the wardens if he makes it back to civilisation. Maybe they were planning to move hideout anyway.
It's getting late in the day by the time he's free of his bonds. Picking up his staff, discarded on the dirt beside him, he sets off again in the direction of the heath making a note of the location. He will be back. Letting this group go would be like allowing a wound to fester, it goes against everything he stands for, but one man with a stick isn't going to last long against a gang and he has a mission to complete. He needs to find somewhere to bed down for the night before darkness sets in, but maybe it's best to put some distance between himself and these brigands, lest they decide there's more sport in chasing him up the hill than letting him go.
I decide that the mechanical results of the complication will be -1 Supply (+1) and -1 Momentum (+2). Having Deshi bound and losing time on his journey seemed like a serious enough complication along with the robbery to satisfy a matched 8 roll. And since it's my first time playing I wasn't quite ready to go to 0 supply and suffer the Unprepared debility quite yet. Time to wrap up this session and come back fresh, hopefully with better luck next time (this is called foreshadowing, I was very wrong).
Session End
Health: +5
Spirit: +4
Supply: +1
Momentum: +2
Tethered: Nabuma village
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