Ironsworn: Wolf and Cat, Log 5

   This is the 5th log of my Ironsworn solitaire campaign about Oddi Ice-Chosen. Character background and start of the narrative can be found at: Wolf and Cat, Log 1. 

Session length varies wildly. Some are multi-hour sessions in open evenings, others are 20-minute diversions over a lunch-break. 

Cast of Characters:

• Oddi Ice-Chosen, my main PC. Abducted by a Firstborn sorceress as a child, only recently returning to the world of men, motivated by a terrible prophetic vision. Wears an enchanted wolf-skin. Storyweaver and occassional spellcaster.
  
• Sammutisel: Oddi's pet Cave Lion. 150 pounds, 4-inch fangs. 
• Kasju Frystgrotta: The Firstborn (elf) sorceress that abducted Oddi and taught him magic.
• Emelyn Firetop: Blacksmith. Survivor of the destruction of Oddi's hometown. 
• Grassa: Oddi's mother. Currently missing in the wake of the raid.
• Tern: Emelyn's younger brother. Currently missing.
• Feris Left-Tusk: Leader of the Broken who torched the village.
  

Log 5 (Date: 7/29/2021.)

Memo to self: Don't forget my wolf-pelt is charged, so +1 on Edge.

Oddi Ice-Chosen and Emelyn Firetop stay up most of the night catching up. The really connect. If they weren't both so worried about missing family members, they may have acknowledged the chemistry between them.

Ask the Oracle -  Does Grassa show up? - In a typical trope-y tale, they'd be fridging the mom or the sister. While I'm okay with Oddi having to rescue Grassa, I don't want to kill her off, and I think Myrgun is definitely in the "Princess who saves herself category". So let's subvert a bit of the usual, and call this Likely that Grassa shows up as expected. Roll 1d100. On a 1-25 she doesn't arrive and Oddi has to feel all sorts of worry and guilt about not having headed back to Sword Hope himself since he could walk. On a 26-100 Grassa shows up with the next plot coupon. Roll: 02. NO!

While this does save Oddi the embarassment of having his mom show up while he's trying to impress a girl, it's definitely a bad turn of events that he will worry about. We'll probably start the session 5 with Oddi heading to Sword Hope to find out what's going on. Tern may have run away, which would mean Grassa doesn't need saving, but does Grassa and Emelyn both need Oddi's help finding him.


By Morning, Emelyn is really worried about Tern. Oddi is likewise worried about his mom, Grassa Bitterblad, but is trying to seem strong. Nobody has come from Sword Hope. They may be in danger.

To calm Emelyn, Oddi makes two vows at the town's Pillar. He promises her that he will find Tern, and get him to safety. Then he vows vengeance upon Feris Left-Tusk and the Shatterwood Broken.

Swear a Vow - Save Tern - Troublesome - Weak Hit. Where to begin? What's going on?

Swear a Vow - Avenge Forgotten Despair - Dangerous - Strong Hit.

Chasing the Broken into the Shatterwood is clear, and I would do so without delay, if not for the promise to help Tern. There may be Broken still about, so I can't leave Emelyn here with an injured ankle. So I build a draggable cart to put her on, and haul her to Sword Hope.


This is a short established route that takes less than a day, so I'm not going to use the full Undertake A Journey mechanic... but it is burdened by having to haul a wounded person, so I will make a single Journey roll, and assume that the town of Sword Hope is a single Waypoint away.

Undertake A Journey (Limited Roll) -  Strong Hit

We reach Sword Hope without incident. Now to find out what's happened.

Gather Information - Weak Hit - Spend Momentum for a Strong Hit, then +2 momentum

Apparently, Myrgun Bitterblad, my sister, came through here shortly after the Broken attack. She beseeched Sword Hope for help avenging our Father's death, and got all the brave young men with something to prove to follow her into the Shatterwood. They have not yet returned.

My mother, Grassa Bitterblad arrived in Sword Hope yesterday, looking for Tern. The sickly boy had gotten scared by a Bear as they made their way into the forest. They got separated, as Grassa battled the bear. She was hurt, and is currently in the hut of the healer. She tried to talk the people of Sword Hope into going to look for Tern, or going to help Emelyn, but all the brave ones had left the day before with Myrgun.

So Tern is out there, possibly being hunted by a wounded bear. Grassa is alive, but wounded. Myrgun is with allies, but now 2 days absent.

This is good news overall. Oddi and Grassa have a tearful reunion. Grassa doesn't want to let him out of her sight, but she's in no shape to tackle the bear again.

Sojourn - I try to get help from Sword Hope - Weak Hit, but because I have Bond with Grassa and Emelyn, I'm going to take the second option (basically getting the results as if it were a Bonded town, but not the bonus on the roll for such). My two choices are:

Recuperate (+2 Health for me and Sammutisel), Consort (+2 Spirit). This is a good result, so I'm not going to push my luck with the allowed follow-up roll.

Seeing Grassa alive bolsters my spirits. There's not much time to talk, as I need her to just tell me where she last saw Tern, and where she saw the bear.

Advance A Threat - 37 - As I'm about to go chase a bear and Tern, not immediately follow my sister's vengeance path, that delay means I need to roll to see if Feris Left-Tusk scores any Menace, which he does.

I head out into the woods, following Grassa's instructions, looking for signs of Tern, the bear, blood, etc.

Gather Information - Tracking and Searching - Weak Hit - New danger, and +1 moment

Ask the Oracle "What is the Bear's special ability?"  - The bear has "Vocalization". It's voice is like a man's, which it uses to lure in human prey. It may have once been human! I've never heard Tern's voice before, so I don't realize this is even an option. It calls out that it's caught under a log, and attempts to lures me in.

Face Danger - Wits: Do I fall for the Lure? - Strong Hit - +1 Momentum, I'm not falling for it.

We will start Session 6 with "Enter the Fray" using my Cave Lion and Wolf Pelt.  Edge+2.  On a Hit I get +2 Momentum (I'm at 6 before the roll).  Probably set this bear to Dangerous. Originally, I was going to just have it Troublesome since mom injured it, but now that it's a talking bear, possibly a man turned into a bear, it needs a bit more bite.