Ironsworn Session 13: The Council Calls
Valryc's status: Momentum: 3; Health: 5; Spirit: 4; Supply: 3
After returning to Wrennsfall with Pendry, Valryc spends several days
quietly resting at home. It's been so long since he had spent time
quietly and comfortably at home that he revels in the chance to hide
himself away for some time and recover from his last mission. The weight
of his finding still weighs heavy on his mind though, making the
pleasantness of his solitude brief. The distraction of tracking down the
missing boy and returning him to his mother had been good for him, but
now his thoughts wander. He thinks back to what he found in those ruins.
The hieroglyphs seem to be burned into his memory as he thinks on the
meaning behind them and the implication of the Shadiri’s interest as
well. He still feels as if his mission is not finished. He found what
the council had charged him to. He had brought that information back and
the conclusion from that information seems rather straightforward.
Someone will need to find the pieces of this sword before the Shadiri
can. But he does not know if that is his role. He is a scout. He watches
the borders of Wrennsfall, he helps the villages in the outskirts and
reports troubles to the leaders of Wrennsfall. They make the decisions.
They tell him where to go and what to do. He can’t imagine that they
would rest such responsibility on the shoulders of a simple scout such
as he is.
As he continues to dwell on these thoughts, his
brooding mood ruins his peace of mind that he thought he would find in
the comfort of a few quiet days at home. He endeavors to seek out more
distraction as the anxiety of the council summons weighs heavily on his
mind. He decides that since he cannot work in his usual capacity, he’ll
help Kyara with her baking. Though he knows his sister doesn’t need the
help, he hopes she’ll allow him to at least keep his hands busy for the
days. In the evenings he finds his comrades in arms after their shifts
and enjoys their company well into the evenings. He does all he can to
get any information from them about what is happening in the outlands.
“Have there been any more Shadiri spotted? Are there talks of
preparations being made in case of an attack? What of Rocksmark? Has
Commander Rafe sent horses and scouts to the village as I had
requested?”
His friends entertain his questions for a time, but they quickly wave
him off, suggesting that he should enjoy his well earned time off. There
will be plenty of work to be done as soon as he returns to duty. No need
in worrying so much about it now. Valryc smiles and agrees with them,
though with what he knows of the Shadiri’s plans and goals he has a hard
time truly forgetting all of his concerns. Over the rest of the week he
does the best he can, quickly turning into a poor baker's apprentice for
his sister during his days and enjoying the company of his friends as
much as he can in the evenings.
Roll +1 for bond with Kyara and his fellow Wrennsguard
Weak hit- Action die 5; Challenge die 6/1
Choose 1 +1 additional for bond; +2 Supply; +2 Spirit
He passes his days with his sister, doing the best he can to be more of a help than a hindrance to her baking. Though he’s unsure if that is the case, it seems Kyara is just happy to have him back in Wrennsfall. She forgives his mistakes, just so long as he comes back the next day to keep making them. One afternoon just before they finish the baking for the next morning, Valryc inquires about the salves that Kyara had prepared for him before he left for the Elven Ruins. She smiles happily when he mentions that they were rather effective in dealing with his injured ankle. “I don’t have any knowledge of the healing arts, but whatever you put in that salve was a miracle. One day after a rather… serious fall, they had almost entirely erased the pain of a rather badly sprained ankle. I don’t think I would have made it back to Wrennsfall so quickly if I had not had your little ointment on hand. Do you think you might make more of this for me? Unfortunately in my haste in the caves searching for Pendry I had over done it a little on a slash on my arm and am running low. It would be nice to have more on hand, just in case I need to leave again soon.”d His sister’s excitement over the effectiveness of her salve quickly deflates at the mention of the chance that he may need to leave town again so soon. But his sister made peace with this long ago. She knows that he is needed for protection of the city. He is here when he can be, but much of his time is spent away. Valryc notices her hesitation, but before he can say anything she flashes him a bright smile. “Of course brother! I wouldn’t want you to leave home without it. I suppose while you drink the night away with your friends, I can start in on a fresh batch. But promise me you’ll be more careful next time. Its not the easiest thing to make.” She laughs and Valryc is set at ease. He says his goodbyes, thankful that she can prepare more for his healing supplies.
In the evenings he meets his friends of the wrennsguard at their favorite pub. The food is filling and the drink is strong, making the company even more enjoyable. Word of his success in finding the missing Pendry has spread through town and many people congratulate him on such a success. He smiles, always assuring them its the least he could do as a member of the guard. They spend the evenings telling tall tales and swapping stories from duty. They fondly remember Valryc’s fallen allies who were struck down in his early run in with the Shadiri. Though it saddens him somewhat, he is happy to think back on the good times he had with the fallen scouts. “They fell to an enemy that most would never worry about… Their memories will be with us for all our lives and by keeping them as such, they will live on as we protect the people of Wrennsfall.” Valryc makes a toast after several strong ales and many memories are passed between him and his friends one night. They all raise a glass solemnly, a good toast to the dead and their memory.
Though his thoughts still wander and his worries are not entirely lost, he finds that for the remainder of his week of leave he is able to truly enjoy himself. His friend’s company is something he sorely missed as he traveled alone for so much of his journey. The nights pass into days, passing into nights, as he continues to find solace in those around him. His spirits have been buoyed and his traveling supplies have been refreshed. The week passes on, until finally one morning as he prepares to leave for his sister’s house there is a sharp knocking on his door. He opens it to find a sharply dressed guardsmen. In an outstretched hand he holds a letter sealed with the symbol of the Wrennsfall council. “Official summons from the council captain. They expect to see you within the hour.” The man salutes, turns, and marches off leaving Valryc holding a letter. A letter that he both dreaded and yearned for. He takes a moment and sighs before closing the door and tearing the seal open.
“Captain Valryc,
The terse note leaves a heavy Valryc feeling heavy, yet at the same time a weight is lifted from his mind. He’ll be leaving tomorrow. The council has deemed that he will continue on with his mission. He’ll have the opportunity to finish that which he started. The excitement of the coming journey and the weight of leaving his home mix within him, an anxiety that bubbles in his stomach that drives him. He quickly stokes the fire from yesterday evening in the hearth, gently fanning embers until they come to life as fire light dances across the early morning darkness in his home. He crumples the note and throws it into the fire before quickly setting about organizing his pack and traveling gear. He’s not been home long enough for his supplies to be put away and he is able to quickly organize his supplies and bundle them into a neatly organized pack. He spends some time running a whetstone along the edges of his bastard sword, knowing that danger will not be avoided on his travels. He grabs a hunk of jerky and moves up to the attic of his small home. He finds Streig roosting in the small opening that he built for the hawk to come and go as he pleases while the two were idle in Wrennsfall. He rouses the hawk, waving the jerky under his beak before placing a hand on Streig’s head and gently petting him. “We’ve been called to action my friend. Rest your wings, on the morrow we’ll be on the road again.” He leaves the hawk to his breakfast before dressing in his Wrennsguard uniform. It’s pressed and clean from the last time he donned it. He knows the council will laugh at his formality, but he feels the importance of the mission he is about to receive necessitates it. Finally feeling as prepared as he can be, he makes way out the front door and towards Wrennsfall keep. He knows he’ll be early, but the excitement drives him forward.
He arrives and is ushered into an antichamber just outside of the council’s meeting room. He waits, anxiously pacing, as the hour of the meeting draws near. Finally there is a gentle knock on the door leading into the chambers. A Wrennsguard pokes his head into the room and nods at Valry. “They are ready for you now.” He disappears around the door as quickly as he entered, leaving Valryc staring at a door slightly ajar. Finally he pulls the door open, stepping forward into the room.
Councilor of War - Nadra Beltran (He/Him)
Councilor of Trade - Esra Sardan (She/Her)
Councilor of Land - Tristan Themon (He/Him)
Councilor of City - Maura Shekhar (She/Her)
Names of the other Major cities in the Ironlands
Timbermount
Windrest
The councilor’s are sat around the a round table that is the focal point of the meeting chamber. They wear their traditional robes of leadership, expressing to Valryc the seriousness of the meeting. He quickly steps forward, standing at a small podium in front of the table. Head councilor Amara is directly across from him and nods in acknowledgement as he stands ready to hear their decision. Finally, councilor Amara speaks…
“At ease, Captain Wyndurk. We shall proceed directly to the task at hand. The council has discussed the information that you have brought us at length. It seems that the Shadiri’s goals are not only dangerous to Wrennsfall, but to the Ironlands as a whole. We must set a task before you, both daunting and dangerous.” She pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts before continuing. “It is with a heavy heart that we lay this burden upon your shoulders. The task will be thus. You shall travel south towards our sister cities. You shall carry a message to the other councils of five detailing the Shadiri’s goals. We also task you with finding the pieces of the blade, keeping them out of reach of the Shadiri forces that have moved into the Ironlands. Scout reports have returned detailing their movements. It appears they have begun the journey south as well, in all likelihood they make for the nearest Elven temple that you have informed us should contain one of these shards. Though they have a slight head start on us, we expect that they will move slowly, with caution. The force is a small war-band and likely aim to avoid as much detection as possible. Their numbers are not near enough to equate to an invading force. Our advantage will be that we do not need to move with the caution that they do. We will send you with a small caravan, just enough to carry supplies for the journey. Once you near Timbermount, you will depart the caravan for the first temple. You will rejoin the caravan to carry the message to the Timbermount council. Your presence there will lend credence to our message, as you’ve seen everything first hand. From their you will depart to Windrest. Again as you go you shall seek out the temples along the way. Once we have collected these shards and informed our sister cities, you will return here. Hopefully once you have collected these shards we can prepare. It is likely that the Shadiri will send a larger force once they realize we have caught onto their plans. We’ll need all the preparation we can make. If we keep this blade from their hands, likely we’ll foil their plans. I only hope that this deterrence will be enough for them to cease their incursions.”
Councilor Amara finishes laying out the plans for Valryc to travel southward, collecting the pieces of the Elven blade. Valryc listens intently, preparing himself mentally for the task at hand. Once she has finished, He draws his iron arrowhead from under his shirt. He kneels in front of the councilor’s table, clutching the arrowhead tightly. “I swear that I shall complete this mission as fully as I am able. I shall recover as many pieces of the blade as I can, bringing them here to Wrennsfall and informing the other councils as we go.” Valryc swears his vow, prepared for the next steps of his mission.
Weak hit- Action die- 4; Challenge die 1/7
+1 momentum; Envision path forward.
of the Shadiri’s goals
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