Ironsworn Session 5: Searching the Ruins

Valryc's status: Momentum: 7; Health: 5; Spirit: 5; Supply: 3
Undertake a journey to the Elven ruins: Completed
Vow: Find the ruins, discover what the Shadiri are seeking and return to Wrennsfall: Progress:2


Valryc awakens after a fitful night of rest. In the early morning sun, he quickly pulls out some rations and breaks down his small camp after eating. “I have no plan on staying here another night. I’ll need to make my search quickly and begin the trek back to Wrennsfall” He thinks to himself as he works. He begins studying the surrounding area more closely, looking for any signs of recent activity in the area. Footprints, signs of camps, and anything else that might suggest that the Shadiri were here before him. Thinking back to the cut rope bridge, he is sure that they had made it this far. But he must confirm his suspicions.

Gather information: Valryc searches the area for signs of the Shadiri.
Weak Hit: Action Die 8; Challenge die 6/9
The information complicates Valryc’s quest; +1 momentum

Valryc curses under his breath as he spots the tracks in the dirt. There are too many for him to get a clear sense of a number, but their presence is unquestionable. Someone was here before him, likely it was the Shadiri. And they were here recently. He just barely missed his opportunity to beat them to the ruins. He looks towards the Elven structure, a sadness in his eyes as he suspects he will not be stealing whatever it was the Shadiri were after. He can only hope they left some evidence of what it was that they came for. He steels his resolve and moves towards the front of the building.

In the morning light he studies the ruins more closely. They can hardly be called a ruin, in his opinion. The walls stand sturdy and beyond the obvious disuse that they find themselves in. Moss grows on the stone walling and obvious signs of weather wearing on them are present. The masonry reminds Valryc of the older buildings in Wrennsfall, the elven structures that the Ironlanders found and used as the foundation of their settlements.  Though not all of the structure is still standing. Holes in the walls where shutters likely covered windows lay bare and open to the outside world. Valryc suspects that the wood used for shutters must have decayed many decades ago. The structure is old yet still strong.

He approaches the front of the small keep with wary reverence. On the large front doors there are ancient scrawling runes carved into the reinforced doors. “Definitely Elven… A church? Or possibly some kind of holy temple for those ancient creatures?”  Valryc surmises to himself. As he looks on it from the outside the structure appears rather small, likely holding a large central room with two wings that might be a common room and a dormitory that housed the inhabitants when it was in use. With caution, Valryc moves to the front door, drawing his sword,  and opening it as gently as he can. He was undisturbed in the evening, but he won’t take his chances inside. Not when he is so close to possibly finding some answers.

Gather Information: Valryc searches the elven ruins in hopes of discovering what may have been held within.
Miss: Action die 7; Challenge die 7/9.
Valryc will burn his momentum of 8 to make the roll a weak hit
The information complicates Valryc’s quest; +1 momentum

The small building houses just what Valryc suspected. A hallway running down the center leads towards a large open room that appears to have been some sort of central congregation room. The wing to his left houses a common area and something resembling a kitchen, while the right wing contains a long rectangular room that obviously would have been used as a dormitory to house whoever lived here, though the size of the place suggests it could only house a small number of inhabitants at one time. What furniture remains is mildewed and rotted through, disintegrating tapestries line the walls and carpets practically dissolve underfoot. The ancient temple has obviously been ransacked. No stone looks left unturned from the decaying dormitory. The kitchen looks as if a hurricane tore through just yesterday. But the most disheartening finding of all is in the central congregation room. Behind the decaying pulpit, Valryc sees a secret door at the rear of the room that has been left swinging open. The possible secrets of this place have been found. Valryc feels the weight that just yesterday seemed to lift as he found the path towards this place settle back on his shoulders. With a stern expression, he prepares a torch and begins making his way down into the depths below.

Valryc moves down the narrow winding staircase into the depths below the ruins. After descending deep below the ruins, he comes to a large circular room. A large table lays at the center of the room, a small dancing flame sits on the stone of a pedestal raised above the table. Valryc hesitates as he notices the flame burns unnaturally still. Unwavering, the flame gives off more light than he would expect from such a small light. “Magic of the old world… It must be some sort of enchantment the elves left behind when they abandoned this place.” He begins searching the room, feeling even more wary now that there seems to be some sort of magical presence left here.

Gather Information: Valryc studies the depictions on the wall
Strong Hit: Action die 5; Challenge die 2/4
Valryc is able to decipher the images and discovers an important clue; +2 Momentum

He approaches the table and recognizes that a map of the Ironlands is carved into its surface. He runs his hand over the map, tracing his finger from the mountains where he is now towards Wrennsfall. Sadness fills his eyes as he thinks of his failure in beating the Shadiri to this place. But this sadness only lasts a moment. He gathers his wits and looks around the room. Finally he recognizes that the walls of the circular room are covered in intricate carvings. He circles the room, taking in the depictions and trying to make sense of all that he sees. He begins piecing together the story told in the Hieroglyphs.

Valryc is able to decipher the order of the images, piecing together a rudimentary understanding of the story told. Starting from the beginning… A group of huddled figures cower under a massive shadowy figure. Wings spread from the shadows back as it stares down at the figures with bright red eyes. In the next image three tall slender figures stand, the central figure holding aloft an illuminated blade that shines with light from the full moon that rises high above the trio. The next image depicts a fierce battle. Elves battle shadowy figures in the background as the trio of elves from the last image fight the large winged shadow figure in the foreground. The elf wielding the illuminated blade has pierced the shadowy figure's chest. In the next image, the blade wielding elf holds the sword aloft, the moonlight shines down and reflects towards the large shadowy figure. A prism of light from the blade begins to form a prison around the shadow as the wound in its chest continues to weep wispy tendrils of darkness.  In the next image, the prison has fully formed around the shadowy figure. But the blade reflecting the light has shattered into three pieces. The elves faces show shock and dismay. But hope is renewed in the final image. The elves stand facing in separate directions, each holding a piece of the blade. The shadowy figure remains held in the prison of light formed by the blade. With dutiful expressions the elves look as if they are prepared for a journey, each carrying their separate piece of the blade…

Valryc takes in the depiction with a look of awe and terror. “This shadowy monstrosity. This must be the Shadiri’s goal. To loose that beast and bring about the end of all who oppose its darkness. That blade… It must be the key to this prison. That is why the elves took it away. They must have scattered its remains across the Ironlands. That must be what the Shadiri are looking for!”

Reach a Milestone: Valryc has made a huge discovery in these ruins. The Shadiri seek to find the pieces of this blade and free a monstrosity on the world. His journey has not been in vain, as this is the first time any knowledge of the Shadiri’s goals have been discovered since the Ironlanders were driven from the Old World. +1 Progress on his vow to uncover information on the Shadiri. +1 progress on his background vow to discover the Shadiri’s goals and protect the Ironlands from the Shadiri

As he lingers on the final image he notices a small symbol worn around the neck of the elf standing at the center of the trio. He runs his finger over the symbol, unsure of what it represents and suddenly a small stone begins to shift on the wall. Within the revealed alcove sits a small spherical object. Valryc is shocked by his dumb luck. He picks up the small object and studies it for a moment. The surface of the object is smooth except for three small holes and one singular large hole in apparently random placement on the spheres surface. As he looks into the larger hole, he sees that the object is hollow. Small mirrors inside of the sphere glint as they catch the light from the pedestal and his torch. Valryc is perplexed by the strange object, but figures it must be important. He also realizes that the Shadiri did not find this. He may have finally caught the lucky break that will get the Ironlanders ahead of the Shadiri…

Valryc returns to the map table with the object he found. He pulls paper and ink from his pack and begins recording as much detail about the images as possible. He hopes that any detail he might have missed would be discovered by the Councillors of Wrennsfall. After making a record of the illustrations he begins to study the sphere that he had discovered in the small hidden alcove. There is nothing in the room besides the map table and the pedestal with the magic flame. He eyes the flame suspiciously, then approaches with the small object. Around the flame, Valryc notices a small circular groove inset into the pedestal’s surface. Eyeing the larger hole in the sphere, he tries placing the sphere’s larger opening over the flame. It fits perfectly inside. As the room darkens, the three holes in the sphere produce three distinct beams of light. Suddenly the sphere begins to move on its own accord. Valryc steps back away from the table as the sphere spins around on the flat surface. Finally the sphere clicks into plac. The beams of light stream down towards the map table marking three different locations. Valryc's breath catches in his throat "This… This must be the location of the pieces of the sword!" He scrambles over to his pack and produces a rudimentary map of the ironlands that he carries with him on ventures out of Wrennsfall. He marks the three locations on his map as best he can. He stows the map and collects the sphere from the pedestal, taking this with him. "With this knowledge we may have a chance to get ahead of them. I need to make my way back to Wrennsfall quickly. There's no time to waste."

Reach a Milestone: With the strong success on his gathering of information in the secret room under the ruins, Valryc has discovered what he suspects are the three locations in the Ironlands where the pieces of this blade are. This furthers both his vow of gathering information and returning to Wrennsfall as well as his background vow of protecting the Ironlands from the Shadiri. He will gain +1 progress on both of these vows again for this find.

Valryc hastens back up the winding stairwell, a new sense of urgency and purpose overtaking him with the wealth of knowledge that he uncovered in the ruins. As the light cast from his torch recedes up the stairs…

Oracle: Have the Shadiri left a spy to observe if anyone found the elven ruin and any secrets they did not?
Almost certain: 11or more is a yes; 48- There is a spy that was left by the Shadiri

An unnatural shadow grows larger and larger, looming in the room even in the presence of the magical flame above the map table. The shadow suddenly takes on a wispy corporeal form as it steps from the darkness. It waits for Valryc to depart before setting off to finish its own mission.

Valryc's status: Momentum: 5; Health: 5; Spirit: 5; Supply: 3
Vow: Find the ruins, discover what the Shadiri are seeking and return to Wrennsfall: Progress:4
Background Vow: Protect the ironlands from the Shadiri cult and discover the purpose for driving the ironlanders from the old world: Progress: 2/4ths

 


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