Episode 52
She knelt in the mud, and felt the numbness and the cold seep into her heart. Was Aron right? Was she merely following in mother’s footsteps, fated to become another hated mystic and a bringer of darkness? Thoughts, accusatory and hateful, hammered her heart.
But she hadn’t done this; Haf had! In fact, she had been the one to save the town, to drive this strange mist-shrouded doom back into the night.
She stood, suddenly angry. Nights and Demons, but what had possessed the man to steal her disks? She would find out.
She trudged back to the open door, feet squelching in the boot-sucking mud. At least the strange storm was gone. Tangwynn and Gusto looked at her with barely concealed awe on their faces.
“The night is back to normal,” Gusto said, looking at the stars and then at Eilwen. “You did it, Lady Eilwen. You have saved us!”
Tangwynn took her hand, “Thank you! Thank you!.”
Outside, windows and doors opened, and the folk of Longfalls called greeting to each other and spoke of what had befallen them.
Eilwen nodded a tired response to Tangwynn and gently pulled her hand free.
Is Haf conscious now?
(Likely | 8[d10]) Yes
“Where am I?” Haf asked her, sitting up. He swung his large towards her in confusion. “This is not my home... No. Why-- What happened? Why is my wrist bandaged?”
She ignored his questions. “Why did you take my disks?” Eilwen asked instead. “Explain yourself!” She put Myrddyn’s point to his neck, and its sickly green light pulsed brighter in anticipation of a kill.
His eyes went wide and he shrank back from the blade. “Forgive me, Lady Eilwen! Please show Mercy! But I had to.”
She stared at him, her heart numb of feeling save for the cold pit she felt. “Do you know what you did?” she whispered.
“I--No. I only meant to--”
“Can you not hear the shouts of hysteria in the streets? The cries of the wounded, maybe even the dying? They are your doing! Yours!” She pressed the point and he backed up against the wall, still in a sitting position, eyes wide.
“No... I--” and tears leaked from his eyes. “People are hurt. I couldn’t--wouldn’t. I didn’t do--”
“You awakened some foul force when your blood mixed with the iron plates. Do not deny it!”
“My blood--” Confused wrinkled his brow. “No--that wasn’t me. Or I--I... I don’t know. I didn’t mean to. I was only searching for answers. Answers!”
“Answers for what?” she said, her voice cutting, eyes narrowing.
His eyes flicked from her face to her sword. “Visions... Dreams I’ve been having.”
“What of them? Everyone has nightmares in these lands,” she said, her mouth a grim line. “Why are yours any different?”
“These have the feel of prophecy,” he said. “I’m--I’m no mystic,” he stammered. “I just oversee the mining operations around Longfalls, and yet--” he swallowed. “Yet, I continue to see it in my dreams.”
“You should have come to me,
asked me to use the disks. You nearly destroyed the entire settlement!”
“I--” he nodded. “Yes...of course, you are right, but I didn’t know it would--”
“Our world is full of dangers,” she said. “Most are seen and felt, but some of the most dangerous lurk in plain sight to ensnare the unwary mind or heart.”
“The iron plates,” he breathed. “What are they?”
She held the tip against him for a moment, her eyes hard. Then the fire went out of her. With a sigh, she let the tip point drop to the ground. He exhaled a sigh of relief.
“They hold ancient rituals...earlier than our forefathers’ landing on these lands. I believe they come from the same ancients who built the strange iron obelisks. I can say no more for I know little more. But one should not casually open themselves to their power. Even I do not know the full extent of their mysteries.”
“Now, tell me what you’ve seen in your dreams.”
“That blade,” he said and looked at her sword.
“What?”
“Your sword. THAT very sword,” his eyes swept over its shimmering length, over its stunning beauty. “‘Tis a fell blade, Milady.”
“This? How? Is this not the famed Sword of Myrddyn, rumored to be blessed by the ancient gods?”
Haf did have maps and diagrams and tomes on his desk. He really does know a bit about this blade, right?
(Likely | 6[d10]) Yes
“Some have claimed for it to be so,” he said. “But that... that blade I’ve seen in my dreams, and it is no blessing. Believe me, I know.”
Eilwen sat down in a nearby chair with a tired sigh. She put the point of the sword and held the hilt in her hands near her face, gazing at him.
“Very well. Tell me what you know. What do your dreams portend?”
What is in his dreams? I used the MAG:
Flying bee/insect with stinger.
Apple with arrow.
Vortex of some sort.
A disguise? A cut pineapple... not sure what it is.
Arrow turning 90 and then 90 again.
Something bouncing off a shield.
Active volcano
Finger pointing downwards
Tentacle
“Pestilence, disease, and starvation. An earth that vomits flames. Destruction. Strange creatures from the shadows, and at the center of it... that sword.”
“Anything else? Did you see who wielded it when this fate befell our lands?”
Did he see who held it?
(50/50 | 4[d10]) No
“I cannot say. The face and form are always hidden in dark mists.”
They stared at each other for a minute, and then Haf looked away. When they heard the sounds of a cry and weeping in the distance, he gave a groan. “I am sorry for what happened--for anything I did...I don’t know what came over me. I would never knowingly do this,” he raised his bloodied and bandaged arm. “You must believe me!”
“Perhaps you are right. I fear some fell power did begin to control you,” Eilwen said. “For only those who are filled with some form of darkness would knowingly do such harm,” she said.
Yet she wondered, did Mother spill blood on the iron plates to open some hidden depths of power? She shied away from the thought; for she felt herself wanting to explore the possibilities, aflame with curiosity. Maybe Aron was right... Maybe...
She pushed away the dark thoughts. She was queen. She would decide.
“In your home, there was a fire,” Eilwen said. “I pulled you to safety but could not reach your scrolls in time. The flames bit too fiercely. But the glance I got, before they crumbled to ash, I saw drawings of a blade. This blade? What do you know about it, and what of the Sword of Myrddyn? Is there a connection?”
What else?
Action and Theme:
Defend/Love
“Thank you for not letting me perish,” Haf said as he held his wounded arm protectively on his chest. “There is a connection.” He leaned forward, wincing in pain at his wound. “I have searched much lore to understand these dreams, Lady Eilwen. In generations past, the Sword of Myrddyn was a normal blade, unnamed and possessed by the ancient Queen, Catraoine Uí Dornáin. She used it to protect her family and her kingdom.”
https://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/irish-names.php
“And this?” she touched her blade.
“What do you know of Medrynn the Black?” he asked instead.
“I--” she thought back on her vision of the dead queen and the bloody crown, of foul murder by Medrynn. She swallowed, thinking of Aron’s blood on her crown. “I have...heard the name.”
Haf grunted and spat on the ground. “Her sword and the crown remained in the queen’s family line for ten generations. Five hundred years later, the Heralds of Night came on the storms and threatened the old world and the kingdom.
“At that time, Medrynn ‘Oathbound’ as he was then called, was honor guardian for Queen Carlyn, daughter of Queen Sheenani. Honor-bound to protect and defend and love the line of queens above all other concerns, he instead yielded to his lust for power. He fell into darkness.
“Consumed by jealousy and greed, Medrynn slew Queen Carlyn himself. He stole the half crown that you seek, and his appellation of ‘Oathbound’ became ‘the Black’. After the remnants of both families fled to these lands, their warfare continued. Medrynn was hunted by Carlyn’s surviving line. In open battle, Medrynn slew the queen’s son, General Ehdan, and took the queen’s sword for his own, naming it the Sword of Myddryn. When the battle went ill against him, he and his chief advisor, a mystic named Edris, fled to a mountain tower near a crumbling underground city somewhere near the Veiled Mountains.
“Edris cast unspeakable enchantments upon the sword, changing it to a thing of fell power. It thirsts for more and more conquest. Uzak, was just a petty criminal, yet he--well, you saw what he became in the end.”
“This Edris,” Eilwen interrupted Haf, and a chill ran through her as she remembered the strange man’s black orbs staring unblinkingly at her under the weight of that tower above Grimstone, before she, Aron, and Kyffin fled into the darkness of the mountain, and Kyffin fell to Edris’s creation. “What do you know of him?”
“Edris was fascinated by the iron pillars. Some called him an ‘Iron Priest’ but he always eschewed that title.”
“You know a lot for a miner,” Eilwen interrupted, puzzled by the fountain of lore spilling from the man, and his rather scholarly tongue.
“I was taught my letters,” Haf said somewhat defensively. “And I’ve collected bits of knowledge over the years.”
“Digging in the ground,” she said flatly.
When he didn’t say anything, she continued.
“One might think that was how you found such an astonishing trove history? Was it a tomb you found?”
Is that where he found all this info?
(50/50 | 8[d10]) Yes
“Well--” he hedged. “I don’t see that this has any bearing on--”
Was it a tomb?
(50/50 | 4[d10]) No
She looked at him with her steady gaze. “Who are you really?” she asked.
Is he related to the line of queens?
(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes
He ducked his head, “No one, milady.”
“Ah, I don’t think so,” she said. “You speak in a different way from others. You weren’t always a miner, were you?”
(Unlikely | 2[d10]) No
He shook his head slowly and finally managed a painful shrug. “I am of the royal line--or my grandfather was, not that it matters out here,” he said. “But I was taught things. Some things I learned at my grandfather’s knee. Others I stumbled upon, and yet others, I sought out,” he said.
“Part of the royal line,” she mused and then she gave a small and tired smile. “Then we are kin?”
“I suppose we are,” he gave a kind and answering smile. “Albeit distantly, I’m sure.”
“For shame, and you never told me?”
“Distant relatives... probably not much shared blood anymore,” he tried to shrug, but the move pained him, and he settled for looking down apologetically.
She leaned forward, whispering. “I too seek answers of what happened in those days and the line of queens. What did you find? A tomb?”
“No,” he lowered his voice in kind, but Tengwynn and her husband had gone outside with the children to help a neighbor. For now, Eilwen and Haf had their privacy. “It was more than that," he continued. "A vault, you might call it. A vault of knowledge.”
Was it a typical library?
(Unlikely | 4[d10]) No
“A library then?”
“There were tomes and scrolls, but there was more than that. A strange dais and short pillar made of iron with blocky runes on it.”
“Can you read those runes?”
Seems like he could... That’s why he took the iron disks.
(Very Likely | 9[d10]) Yes
“Yes,” he said. “I took your metal disks, didn’t I?”
“You did,” she frowned. “But how did you find this lore cache? When and where?”
I’ll roll on the Region and Location Oracles:
Region: Deep Wilds
Location: Path
I’ll roll some action/theme to get a little more context
Reduce / Creation
“So many questions,” he shrugged. “This was many years ago when I was a young man living in the Havens near the Deep Wild. I had a young wife and a small family then. My wife had fallen ill to a loathsome disease. Red sores grew all over her fair face, arms, and hands. She could barely hold our newborn baby.
“In desperation, I went three days into the Deep Wilds to seek some herbs as a cure. I found an overgrown path. I thought at first it was a game trail, but later I found some ancient cobble stones on the broken path. I followed it as best I could. It led to a gaping vine-covered ravine. At the bottom of the ravine, I found some vine-covered statues, broken, with faces worn away, but with a stately bearing. They flanked the entrance to a cave. I went inside and after some time underground, I found a room I spoke of with its scrolls, tomes, and the pedestal--all of it.”
Haf watched her, then seemed to make a decision. “And on the iron pillar, I saw this,” He leaned over and traced a skaed rune on the dust on the floor.
“That is a rune of power,” she breathed. “I know that one.”
“Yes,” he said. “It is discussed on your metal plates.” His face creased with some unspoken displeasure.
“Haf, did you know anything about my mother, a woman named Arwed? In her younger years she would have been beautiful with blond hair and blue eyes. Some called her a witch.”
Given his lore finding and connections in these more southern regions, and the skaed runes I’ll give it a somewhat likely.
(Somewhat Likely | 7[d10]) Yes
“Arwed,” he said, turning the name over on his tongue and thinking.
Did he know her well?
(Unlikely | 1[d10]) No, and...
“No...I’ve never met a woman by that name. But all the same, the name sounds familiar. Give me a moment.” He leaned his head back and creased his brow and seemed to be sifting through some catalog of collected facts. “Arwed... Arwed...”
She massaged her leg and watched a group of men carry a stretcher in a jog up the street.
“Ah yes, I remember hearing something of a woman named Arwed.”
What does he know about her? Action/Theme
Overwhelm/Momentum
Something positive about her?
(50/50 | 4[d10]) No
What was the situation? Action/Theme
Scheme/Home
“My brother and his wife lived near me in the Havens many years ago. At the time, she must’ve been living in the Deep Wilds. My brother had acquired a home in a game of dice. But when he went to move in, this Arwed was there. She was a beautiful woman by all counts, but cold and distant and as immovable as a boulder. My brother said for a blond beauty, she had a ‘look that could freeze bones’. Such an interesting expression, don’t you think?”
Eilwen frowned at him.
“Well, she wouldn’t let them move in, no matter the arguments, or threats. In fact, she threatened them.”
How did she make them leave? Action/Theme
Secure/Religion
“Why?”
“My brother never said. He only told me briefly of the encounter. He said that she told them that she would curse them with the ‘tongues of the ten thousand Heralds’ if they didn’t leave...I can only surmise that she did so because she wanted some privacy.”
For a moment Eilwen pondered that.
I’m going to say this gives her a progress mark on two vows. 1) To find out more about her Mother quest (now 4/10) since it’s the line of queens. The crown and sword are also mentioned and knowing that this cache is available as a lead, will give her another tick on her Queen’s Quest vow. (Now 2/10)
“Haf,” Eilwen leaned forward, her eyes intent. “I need your help to find this area you spoke of, to find out about my mother and about the crown... I have saved your life and this town. Aside from that we are also bound by blood. Come with me, please?”
Compel Move + heart since she’s trying to barter. She has a bond with the community but maybe not with him. Though she did save his life and they found out they are kin, so I’ll try to
Forge a Bond first:
5 = 4[d6]+1
4 = 1[d10]+3[d10]
A strong hit. The bond is forged. I’ll increase her Bonds track as well by one tick. (Now 5/40) Since she is Shaken, unfortunately, her Spirit can’t go up. She has to clear the Debility first through the Sojourn move.
The exact rule says, “The shaken and unprepared conditions can generally only be cleared as you find fellowship and gather provisions in a community through the Sojourn move (page 71).”
The word “generally” here gives a little leeway, for interpretation, and given that she needs all the help she can get right now, I’m going to milk it. I’m going to say instead of needing Sojourn in this case, that because of what she found out in this scene, and she found an ally and kinsman in Haf, she’ll be able to clear this debility. So... it’s cleared. Thanks, O lenient GM!
Also, regarding Sojourn, the rule is, “Make this move only once when visiting a community, unless the situation changes.” I wasn’t aware of this rule before. I do think the fact that Caldas seems interested in her and wants her to stay around will allow her to take this more than once as that’s a situation that seems to have changed. Also, she just helped save the town from the strange shadow, I think that counts too.
Now the Compel Move
4 = 2[d6]+2
11 = 9[d10]+2[d10]
A weak hit. He asks something in return.
“Well--” Haf squirmed for a bit, but then an eager light came on in his eyes and he slowly nodded and leaned forward. “Look, if you promise to destroy that cursed blade or cleanse it of its evil, I’ll come with you,” he said. “But only if you swear that on iron! Maybe once that’s done, I can regain my normal dreams.”
She knelt, holding the hilt in both hands, the swordpoint of Myrddyn down on the floor and stared at Haf. “I swear by the very iron in its hilt that I will cleanse this blade of whatever fell power it may have or destroy it if need be!”
The familiar warmth thrummed through her.
Sounds like a Formidable Quest!
7 = 5[d6]+2
11 = 5[d10]+6[d10]
A strong hit.
Take +2 momentum.
EIlwen knew exactly what she’d have to do, it was almost as if she could smell the damp decay under the colossal weight of those hills, and the shiver crawled up her flesh again at the thought of seeing those dark orbs staring at her.
“I’ll sheathe this blade in Edris’s flesh!” she hissed nearly to herself. “And take my vengeance upon him for Kyffin’s death.”
“Wait? Edris? You know of Edris? But surely, he must’ve perished long ago,” Haf said.
“Oh no,” Eilwen replied. “He’s very much alive, if you can call his existence a life. But for now, I need to find out about my mother. Later, I’ll take care of the sword and Edris.”
Haf didn’t seem pleased, but when she explained that he was welcome to come to the underground crumbling city and face Edris with her, instead of going to the Deep Wilds, he recanted.
“You swore on iron, I know it’ll be fulfilled,” Haf responded.
How could she explain the weight of her many vows? Their mountainous weight threatened to crush both body and soul.
“Come, your home is ruined,” she said, looking out the door at the still smoking embers of his home. “You can stay in my place. Besides, we have supplies to gather and plans to make.”