Ironsworn Session 19: Unexpected Aid

Valryc's status: Momentum: 6; Health: 5; Spirit: 4; Supply:3
Delve the Elven Ruins to find the piece of the blade: Progress 3

GM Note: 
Dealing with the trapped door that leads deeper into the underkeep is going to be tricky. Magical knowledge is something that the ironlanders have shunned do to its association with the Shadiri. Because of this, it will take some crafty thinking to get past. Valryc is going to need to face danger here. If he fails, a guardian of the underkeep will be alerted and a threat will be implemented starting a bit of a timer on valryc's progress. Lets see how it goes!

Valryc hesitates for a moment. The fear that shook him just moments ago has left a lingering fear in the back of his mind. But he knows the only way to protect the Ironlands now is to push forward. He knows that the Shadiri will be making their way here. He’s got a short window to get in and out with what he seeks before his situation is greatly complicated. Pressing his resolve, he scans the room looking for some sort of way to disable the trapped door so that he might be gone before danger befalls him. 

Face Danger- Valryc needs to get past this door. There's only one way forward, even if it shakes him to his core.  
Roll+wits: Wits 2+ Action die 6 
Strong hit: Action score 8; Challenge die 2/6 
You are successful; take +1 momentum

“Calm down dammit! Get hold of yourself. Obviously this wasn’t going to be so easy. Cool your head and lets sort through this…”  Valryc takes a moment, chastising himself as he attempts to press the sudden fear out of his mind. A few short breaths, closed eyes, he recenters himself and takes a careful approach towards the door. He spends a moment studying the strange runes, trying to remember which were glowing just before the magic was triggered. Taking his time, he recollects what happened just before the spell gripped him. He recognizes that three of the symbols were ablaze with magical light just before he felt the fear grip him. Studying the room he recognizes the same runes etched into the floor, among many other runes. The runes are etched into the ground forming a path from the precipice of the room all the way to the door. “Well this is all I have to go on. I guess I can keep at this until the fright gives me a heart attack. Here goes…”  He begins walking towards the door, following the path of the runes that he recognizes from the trap. He makes his way slowly and hesitantly. As he approaches, the runes on the door remain inert. He gathers speed and confidence, continuing forward. He makes it to the door and heaves a sigh of relief from his lungs, just now realizing that he was holding his breath the entire time he made his way forward. As he reaches the door, he quickly raises his hands and presses the doors open, hoping that his success would not be made false by the sudden triggering of the trap again. A moment of panic sets in as the doors refuse to move, yet it passes just as quickly as the doors finally give way to his hands. They slide open slowly, revealing a darkened hallway deeper into the belly of the ruin. Quickly he hops into the room to put the magical trap behind him. He raises his torch and adjusts his grip on his sword, ready to continue on if a bit more cautiously than he previously had. With his first hardship out of the way, Valryc presses on down the hallway. 

Delve the Depths- After facing the harrowing magical fear trap, Valryc presses on with a bit more caution down the hallway 
Roll+wits: Wits 2+ Action die 6 
Strong hit: Action score 8; Challenge die 3/6 
Mark Progress; Find an Opportunity

Find an Opportunity- 95; Encounter a Denizen that might support you

GM Note:  
A denizen that might support you is a bit of a stretch for the current setting, but I think we might have gotten very lucky here after our unfortunate run in with the trapped door. This must mean a spirit of the elven guardians of the ruin reveals itself to Valryc. 

Valryc slowly makes his way past the door and into the dark hallway. With his torch raised, he sees only the hallway stretching on before him seemingly endless. Yet he presses on, knowing that he cannot leave without that which he seeks. After some time traversing the hallway deeper into the underkeep, he sees a faint blue glow emanating from around the bend as the hallway appears to twist off towards his right. He cautiously approaches, sword clutched tightly and torch raised high to give him the most light into the darkness. As he approaches the turn, the light seems to grow in intensity. Suddenly in a flash of blinding blue light a slender figure leaps from around the corner towards him. The figure is tall and lithe, spindly limbs attached to a slender body. The figure's arm is raised holding a sword out defensively in front of him. A helm over its head hides the features from Valryc, but the proportions of the figure are too long and tall, surely not human. “Please! Please, I mean no harm!” Valryc hears himself yelling out reflexively as the figure holds a long slender curved blade out towards him in a defensive stance. At his yell, the figure seems to pause for a moment in contemplation. After a short time it begins to speak in a breathy hiss of a voice, almost ethereal in nature. “Why should I listen to you when you come to take that which I have guarded for thousands of years! Speak quickly, lest I run you through and leave you on the floor a dead heap.”  Valryc gasps as the figure speaks, barely able to keep his wits about him enough to respond. But he masters his fear yet again and answers the strange figure. “I beg you, please you must believe me. There are those coming to this place that might steal the blade! They wish to use it to release that monstrosity back onto the world! I only wish to take it for safekeeping. I cannot allow them to accomplish their goals. My people have nowhere left to run! You must believe me!”

After a tense moment, the figure seems to relax slightly as it lowers its blade and responds, “And why is it that I should believe you? I have guarded these halls in life and now in death all the same. Not once in my long years has anyone found this temple. These you speak of that wish to steal the blade will never find it!” Valryc slowly lowers his blade as well. He sheathes it on his back, holding his torch up high hoping that the gesture might gain him some trust. He swings his pack around, retrieving the small sphere which he found in the first elven temple. He holds it aloft so the figure might see it. “I fear the secrets of your order have been found. Somehow the enemies of this world have gained knowledge of these places and come to collect the pieces of the blade which you protect. They wish to release that monster, which your order had sealed away,  upon the world! I must stop them!”  Valryc continues to beg the apparition to his side, not knowing if the thing will believe him or slay him where he stands. He watches for a moment as the figure studies the orb in his hand. “I see. So the map has been found then? And your supposed enemies have seen the locations of our temples… And they plan to release him then. This is dire news, dire news indeed…”  The figure seems to forget Valryc for a moment  as it considers what to do in light of this news. Finally it returns its attention to Valryc. In a swift motion it sheathes its blade at its hip, and gives a slight bow. “Very well. If you wish to take the blade for its protection from these people I can only trust that you speak truth. Come, I can guide you but unfortunately in my current state I cannot disable all that stands between you and there shard. In truth I only bluff. I cannot defend these halls any longer. My body and mind are fading. I can hardly remember what we were protecting this blade for. Now I can only hope that you will be able to protect them in my stead.” The ghostly figure turns down the hallway motioning for Valryc to follow. “I can take you there, but be warned there are other things in these halls besides traps that are not as understanding as I am…”  Valryc draws his blade out again and follows along as the ghostly figure disappears around the bend in the hallway. 

GM note:  
Valryc suspects that this apparition is the ghost of an elf set to defend the ruin. His new ally will be able to lead him to his destination, but they will not be able to disable the traps or fight any creatures that Valryc encounters ahead. The Ghost will give Valryc a +1 to rolls to delve the depths going forward as he continues on into the heart of the tomb in search of the blade shard stored beyond. 

Delve the Depths- Valryc follows the elven spirit along warily, hoping he’s not being lead into some kind of trap 
Roll+wits+Elven guide: Wits 2+ Elven guide 1+  Action die 3 
Strong hit: Action score 6 ; Challenge die 1/3 
Mark Progress; Find an Opportunity

Find an Opportunity- 75; You get the drop on a denizen

Valryc continues along as the elven apparition leads the way silently. He asks the elf questions regarding his task and the importance of the blade. “What is your name friend? And why is it that your spirit has lingered here? Your task must have been of great importance if even now you stay to protect the piece of the blade… And what is it that the blade is for? It was used to seal some great creature away from what I could gather. But what is this creature? And what would the Shadiri want to release it for?”  His questions pour from his mouth, hoping that this might be the perfect opportunity to better understand what all this is about. Suddenly he realizes that he’s peppered the spirit with questions, yet he has not responded yet. Looking over at his new spectral ally, he notices a furrowed brow and a look of confusion. The spirit stops suddenly, lost in thought, before finally responding. “I… I can’t remember. Not what the blade was used for, or what we sealed away with it. Gods, I can’t even remember what I was called in life. My name…” The spirit stammers in shock at the realization before his shoulders slump and he stands lost in thought desperate to remember anything from his life. Valryc feels his hope to learn anything quickly turn to compassion for the spirit. “I am sorry to hear that my friend. Though if you’ve been protecting this blade for as long as you have, it seems only natural. I wish there was anything I could do for you.”  The spirit nods in thanks at Valryc’s concern before straightening and turning back towards the hallway. “It matters not. If what you say is true then you’ll be taking the shard from here and maybe then my soul will find some rest.” 

The pair continue down the hallways in silence, the spirit leading the way. They come to an entrance to a large chamber with a large stone figure standing very still in the center. Valryc eyes it from the doorway and begins to move into the room to inspect what he thinks is a statue. “Wait!” The spirit says, holding a spectral hand out in front of Valryc. “I am unsure if the security measures will recognize that you are not an enemy. That golem will be a mighty foe for you to face on your own… but the thing is ancient. If you follow the very edge of the room, it may not recognize that someone has entered the room. There’s a sigil on the other side of the room that will deactivate it. If you’re able to make it there, depress the sigil and that should deal with it.” Valryc nods to the spirit before making his way around the edge of the room as slowly and quietly as he can, as to not awaken the golem. 

Face Danger- With the spirits warning, Valryc attempts to move around the room and deactivate the golem 
Roll+wits: Wits 2+ Action die 4 
Strong hit: Action score  6; Challenge die 3/5 
You are successful; +1 momentum

Valryc moves around the room carefully, keeping his eyes trained on the golem in the center of the room. The massive stone thing stands still, no sign of movement or that its taken notice of him. It feels like an eternity, but finally he makes it to the other side of the room. The elven spirit, who moved without a care through the center of the room, waits for him by the door indicating the sigil next to the doorway. For a moment Valryc hesitates, thinking this might be a perfect trap for the spirit to get rid of him. But he finally places his hand on the sigil, feeling the stone depress slightly as he pushes on it. Valryc notices a sigil on the back of the golem suddenly glow brightly, then fades away. The golem remains still. “There, that thing won’t trouble you on the way out… In case you need to make a speedy exit.” Valryc looks questioningly at the elf, but the spirit seems to take no notice of it. He simply turns and continues down the next hallway. “This way. Not too many dangers ahead of us now.” Valryc follows the spirit deeper into the depths of the ancient ruin. 

Delve the Depths- Valryc follows the elven spirit after deactivating the stone golem protector 
Roll+wits+Elven guide: Wits 2+ Elven guide 1+  Action die 1 
Weak hit: Action score 4 ; Challenge die 1/8 
Weak hit table: 79; Mark Progress

Valryc continues to follow the spirit through the tunnels underneath the elven ruin. Though the structure seems maze-like, the spirit is able to deftly navigate towards what Valryc hopes is the shard is kept. The pair move silently along at a quick pace. Valryc feels the excitement as the move ever nearer his goal, as well as a building trepidation about what strange traps might be yet in store for him here in this place. 

Delve the Depths- Valryc continues to traverse the underkeep following his guide 
Roll+wits+Elven guide: Wits 2+ Elven guide 1+  Action die 3 
Miss: Action score 6 ; Challenge die 6/10 
Reveal a Danger 

Reveal a Danger- 15; Preserved Corpses or Fossils

GM Note:  
These corpses could only be elven bodies deep under the ruins. I think this is a good time to figure out how our elven spirit friend might have died. I’m going to roll on the Action and theme tables and see what I can come up with. 

Oracle- What did the elves left in the underkeep die from? 
Action-5/Theme 13; Create Time

This one really has me stumped... I'm going to give this some time to percolate and we'll kick off next session with the resolution of this danger and hopefully the conclusion of our delve into the Elven ruins' depths!

Valryc's status: Momentum: 8; Health: 5; Spirit: 4; Supply:3
Delve the Elven Ruins to find the piece of the blade: Progress 6

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