Black Cinders - Ironsworn: Entry 6
Session 2: Keeping One's Friends - Part 4
Hello and Happy New Year to you all! We have a shorter entry today which serves more as a epilogue to this first quest and an prelude for setting up the direction of this campaign. As always, if you’re new here then check out the Journal Index to find the start of this tale.
Previous: Entry 5 - Unveiled Motivations
Before:
After besting the bandit Lio nad her Troll companion, Kanno and Kalidas ventured down into the sinking watchtower in search of their missing friend Zhan. Indeed the former explorer was found chained within, suffering from an extensive interrogation. In speaking with their friend and reading Lio’s journal, the pair discovered Zhan was kidnapped for potential information he held on an artefact known as the Gloomstep Mantle. Despite asserting that he knew nothing about it, Kalidas remained unconvinced.
The Road Back
14th of the 4th Moon (Second Bloom) 394.IL
When Kanno woke, rays of the morning sun were creeping their way down the upper staircase. He frowned. With groggy eyes, he scanned the room. By the smouldering embers and hot coals of last night’s fire, Kalidas masssive form was sat hunched over the fading warmth while cooking up a small, simple breakfast. Zhan was beside him, massaging the stump of his missing leg. His iron prothesis had evidently been found and now sat next to him. The smell of toasted oats had filled the chamber. Kanno’s stomach grumbled.
“You didn’t wake me?” he said, stretching out from his bedroll. The aches of yesterday’s troubles were muted but ever present.
“Breakfast?” Kalidas asked, ignoring his friend’s question. His eyes looked tired but his smile was persistent. A bowl of thin porridge was offered from his outstretched hand. Kanno rolled his eyes slightly, and took the bowl. He wolfed it down with glee. It wasn’t much but it was satisfying. When he was finished, he repeated his question with a sterner tone.
Kalidas sighed and rubbed his temples. “Aye, sorry about that. Quiet night though, the Remnants, if they still walk, didn’t come for the tower.” He met Kanno’s eyes and sighed once more before adding, “Relax Kan. You had far more reason to rest last night than I. Its not far to Hound’s Grave anyway.”
“Speaking of,” Zhan said, “We best be heading off soon, I’d rather not cower here for much longer. The damp does me no good.” His was still a little croaky. He fastened the leather straps of his prothesis and checked it over. It was forged from iron and bore the scars from years of work and struggle, much like its owner. He stood and began packing away a few choice items. Though the rest had done him a world of good, he was still skakey on his feet.
Oracle: Did killing Leech unanimate the Remnants? | Unlikely
No
Move: Face Danger, (Shadow, +1 Kindred)
Weak Hit: 8 vs 10, 1 | -1 Supply
Working together, the three of them made light work of clearing the tower of its useful loot. Both Kanno and Kalidas were laden with trade goods that had been stolen from the Caravan. As much as they could carry. Kanno wasn’t exactly comfortable with this much restrictive gear slowing him down, but didn’t complain. Zhan had already had a terrible few days. Kanno could bare this. Kalidas meanwhile had helped himself to a new shield. The brunt of Leech’s magic had withered the wooden planks of his previous one, leaving it blackened and weak. The new shield was made of lacquered wood that held the rusted red hue and slightly metallic sheen of an Ironwood Tree. He looked particularly pleased with the find. Even Kanno was surprised there was something of use within the Troll’s Hoard.
Escaping the hamlet proved only slightly difficult. From their vantage atop the watchtower and the light of the morning sun, spotting the Remnants still walking around the abandoned Circle required barely any real effort. Kanno and Kalidas assessed the Undead and plotted an exit route. They moved quietly, despite the splashing of water and squelching of mud beneath their feet. Kanno scouted ahead to secure their path.
Near the main entrance to the hamlet, through the rotten palisade wall, Zhan’s leg sunk into the sodden earth. A plot of boggy ground that Kanno had overlooked. His entire prothesis was engulfed. His brief curse in alarm drew the attention of the Remnants, but without a mystic to command them, they were easy to outmanoeuvre. The Dead are predictaable, though relentless. Kanno kept his distance and led them away while Kalidas pulled the older Ironlander free. In Kanno’s haste to re-join his companions, some of the caravan’s goods tumbled off his back. He cursed under his breath but didn’t turn back for them. The marsh could keep its spoils.
Move: Undertake a Journey - Return to Hound’s Grave. Summary
Strong Hit: 7 vs 3, 4 | Mark Progress
The return to Hound’s Grave was blissfully uneventful. Escaping the marshland took some time but the return to road gave them drier ground and easier travel. Standing above the waterline presented them with excellent sightlines of the Flooded Lands. Silhouettes shambled along on the horizon. The group pressed forwards quickly, hoping their passage hadn’t drawn unwanted attention from those in the distance. Whether they were the Dead, Ironlander, or something worse, neither of them were interested in being bothered today.
Mid-day saw them reach solid ground and hiking out of the Flooded Lands, into the border regions of the Havens, back into the Sodden Plateaus. By mid-afternoon they found found themselves trudging up the hill to Hound’s Grave. The hill was steeper on this side and filled with lush greenery. No doubt nourished by the recent rains. A series of small stone pillars carved with reliefs of Spears guided them in. High above, the Circle’s watchtowers kept vigil of the approach and perimeter. Not all were occupied but Kalidas gave those on watch a friendly wave.
Summiting the hill yielded the Circle of Hound’s Grave proper. A place far larger than the dreadful hamlet they spent the night in. Life was slower here. Quieter. Calmer. Ample Wardens kept ample watches from their tower top perches. The Spear that stood proudly in the settlement’s centre, towering above the wooden cabins, barred entry to the Dead. A speck light in these dark lands. Kanno was the first to cross threshold of the Spear’s Shadow.
The air upon entering the shadow of the great Spear was initially thick. The faint smell of iron was readily apparent as Kanno flared his nostrils. His skin tingled slightly and his blood fizzled within his flesh, in resonance with the power of the protective pillar. The metal cladding on his arm buzzed briefly, shaking his arm a little. The scarred surface of the gauntlet appeared to ripple and shimmer slightly. Iron recognised iron.
Then it passed. The air felt light and fresh. His skin was calm.
“Pig’s Iron!” Zhan cried. He had stumbled and was clutching his knee, just above the iron prothesis. It’s surface ripped briefly. “Nearly five Passings here and I still forget! Still not used to it. Ahhhh.” He had begun massaging his leg. Kalidas had moved to catch him before he fell over completely. “Iron’s Grace to you Kal.” Zhan quickly added.
“Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way friend?” the towering figure of Kalidas asked. From his position, his blocked the sun completely from Zhan’s vision.
Zhan replied, “No, no. Just take some of the gear if you don’t mind. I’ll be fine the rest of the way. Let a man walk over the threshold of his own home. Come, warm beds await us.” He stretched his aching bones as Kalidas relived him of his heavy packs. He nodded, and set off ahead of the other two.
Kanno raised an eye in Kalidas,”That means you most of all. Straight to bed when we get back.”
“As you command,” Kalidas chukled and heaved the extra supplies onto his back. “I think we’ve earned a rest.”
[Mark Milestone] Discover what happened to Zhan and his caravan - 10/10
“Return Zhan to Hound’s Grave.”
Move: Fulfill You Vow - Discover what happened and his carvan.
Strong Hit: 10 vs 9, 2 | +2 EXP
15th - 19th of the 4th Moon 394.IL
Move: Sojourn
Strong Hit: 7 vs 5, 2 | +2 Supply, +2 Spirit
Kanno and Kalidas spent the next few days recovering their aching bodies from the trip to the Flooded Lands. True to his word, Kalidas went straight to bed once the supplies were unloaded and did not wake until late the next day. In contrast, Kanno spent the evening looking after Zhan and made sure he had everything he needed to recuperate after his ordeal. The older man sighed deeply and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Kanno fell asleep by the fire, resting in an old chair. Thoughts of the path before him drifted through his mind.
During those gentle days, Kanno and Kalidas would take small shifts on the watchtowers. Circles are built on community and what a person can provide to it. Hound’s Grave’s high vantage over the surrounding land gave the Circle’s residents a comfort that other settlements would pray for. The steep slopes up the hill offered a slow and carefully guided ascent, as well as valuable defensive position against the shambling dead or band of raiders. As such, much of their watches were occupied idly. The sun of early spring held promise of a fruitful summer on the horizon.
During these hours of quiet vigil, Kalidas brought up the matter of Zhan and the cloak once more. The young Ironlanders agreed that such an artefact would be a great boon to their ambitions. Bataar was a powerful and skilled man, bolstered further by whatever relic the Black Cinders plundered from Dain’s Dread. Kanno and Kalidas would need every advantage they could scrounge up. Zhan knew more than he was willing to let on, and they needed his valuable information and insight.
Post-Session:
First quest down and we gained our first bit of experience. Like I said at the start, this entry is a little shorter and I apologise that it ended in such a weird place. If I didn’t then this entry would have become super long like the previous one.
Mechanically, their journey back to Hound’s Grave would be a Follow a Path move from the new Lodestar companion book, which I had not seen at the time of playing. I couldn’t be bothered to do a full journey back so I approximated it with a single move.
The lads get a little bit of downtime before we determine the direction of the campaign in the next session, when Kanno and Kalidas confront Zhan about the mantle.
Catch you next time! Subscribe if you’ve liked this retelling so far!