Ironsworn Delve Actual Play Transcript

This post is a companion post to the Map Mine Ironsworn generation post. It contains an unedited transcript of the actual play session. Most of the text is written in 1st person as the character. Any quote sections are where I'm discussing rules and roll results. The final section switches to 3rd person, and you'll see why. 😄

I really enjoyed this session. I might turn it into a short story at some point.

Setup and play notes

I’ve created a site named the Aesir Grove - it’s just a re-skin of the Bonewilds - complete with the same enemy chart, for simplicity’s sake.

I’m playing Ael Frigson, originally a merchant by trade, became an Ironsworn when his wife Hildegunn was killed by a Horror after he left her and their son alone while he went to procure additional provisions during a particularly bad trip in the wilds. His son, Vul, survived by hiding in the back of the cart while Hildegunn lured the horror away. Ael found her body several hours later quite far from the cart, the horror’s severed arm still around her throat - she’d managed to maim the creature before it killed her.

Ael has sworn to hunt this one-armed horror down and has created a talisman out of its hand, a reminder of his loss and a means of identifying and tracking the horror. Vul’s care has been trusted to the elders of Veilholm, their hometown. It’s been many years since the incident, and though the boy still suffers nightmares, he’s growing into a formidable young man.

Ael has a burgeoning relationship with Naewyn, a free warden who has taken an extended contract to patrol the roads around Veilholm. He’s smitten, but he’s also ashamed of how he feels - thinking it a betrayal of Hildegunn’s memory. He’s resolved to put his feelings aside until the horror is finally put down.

Recently, while hunting a horror (that turned out to be the wrong horror, again) he was afflicted by something akin to a poison or a curse. The village healers know not which, but it’s been slowly spreading from a wound in his leg up towards his torso. It looks like inky veins spidering out from the puncture wound. Should the inky tendrils reach his heart, he’ll die - and likely turn into a horror himself. Local legend says that near the edge of the great woods, there’s a holy site that can cure any affliction, should the supplicant be found worthy. The problem is that it’s haunted by the spirits of the Aesir, and none have yet been found worthy.

So, Ael has set out to the Aesir grove to seek a cure, or at least turn somewhere that he won’t harm anyone else. Naewyn offered to accompany him (for free!) but he declined her offer, saying that she would be better spent protecting Veilholm. The truth is that he doesn’t want her to see him die.

Area 1: Shrouded Woods Path

The thick woods give way to a barely distinguishable path, trees thick on either side. Greenery grows into the path and the mist limits my vision to no more than a few arm’s lengths. I trod down the path slowly, listening to the sounds of the forest - muffled though they have become.

Roll +wits: 1 and 4. Action die is a 5. Wits +2 = 7. Strong hit. Mark progress and Find an Opportunity

Since this is a strong hit I may narrate the choice (I can do that any way book, you can’t tell me what to do!). I also take +1 Momentum

It’s fortunate that I took the path slowly, otherwise I would have missed the small side path marked by a fragment of brilliant red cloth tied deliberately around a branch. Someone else has passed this way, and by the look of the cloth, it was not too long ago. I try to ignore the throbbing pain in my leg, a sign that the affliction has advanced yet again and take the side path. I hope this path will prove to be a shortcut.

I continue to proceed with caution; I still have time before the affliction takes me.

Area 2: A Clearing

I’m not sure where this opens up into, so I ask the Oracle and get a 66. The side path leads to a clearing.

I Delve the Depths. a 2, 10, and a 2 on the action die. Wits +2 gives me a 4. A weak hit.

I roll a 38 on the table - Mark progress and reveal a danger.

I’ve got something in mind for this already, so I’ll just run with it.

After what feels like hours, I emerge from the side path into a clearing - I can immediately make out the remains of a campsite. The campfire has long since grown cold, and the remains of a tent are nearby. As I investigate the site, I see that the sides of the tent are torn, and bloodstained. Though it’s hard to make out, there’s evidence that something heavy was drug away from the campsite, just off into the woods some.

It’s clear that someone was attacked, but they might still be alive and need my help so I decide to follow the drag marks. A mere 20 feet into the thicket, that’s where I find it - a brilliant red cloak, torn near the bottom, stained with the blood of its owner. I reach down to collect it, and when I do, something roughly the shape and size of a large cabbage tumbles out of the cloak.

The woman’s head comes to rest at my feet, her vacant eyes stare up at me as if to gaze into my soul. For the briefest moment, I’m back in that mist-shrouded night, and the eyes staring back at me are Hildegunn’s. I try to hold back a scream.

I’ve suffered mental trauma, so I must make the Endure Stress move. I decide that as described, this is a “horrifying” incident, which is Formidable. I take a -3 stress. My Heart is now higher than my spirit, so I must roll +heart (which is a 3)

A 7 and 9, with a 1 on the action die. That’s a Miss. -1 Momentum. Ouch.

And I fail. My cry echos out into the wilds like the howl of some wounded beast. … or a Horror, I realize. The realization leaves me with a thought that I cannot shake. “I’m going to die here, and become one of those things.” I stand frozen. For how long, I don’t know. I eventually return to my senses, and give myself a purpose. I gather the woman’s cloak and put it in my pack. I don’t know her name, but perhaps someone is waiting for her to return. If I make it out, unlikely though that might be, I’ll bring word back of her fate.

I decide to risk making camp here out of the old campsite. I’ll keep one eye and ear open, hoping that whatever fate befell the mystery woman does not return.

This triggers the “Make Camp” move. Roll +supply (currently a 5).

a 4, 10, and a 4 on the Action die. A Weak hit. I choose to regain +1 spirit.

The comfort of the fire sooths my soul as I check on the progress of my wound. The affliction hasn’t spread as far as I thought it would - I still have time. I still have time. I can do this. I’m not going to let some blasted Horror best me.

Renewed, I pack up my gear and stamp out the fire. With any luck, I’ll find what I’m seeking soon.

Area 3: The Blackened Stream

I head out from the clearing and follow another path opposite the first one, and I hear the sound of a slow moving stream long before I’m able to see it through the thickening mists. It’s said that the altar which I seek lies deep in the woods, near to an old flowing stream. My heart beats faster and I find it hard to contain my excitement.

When I get closer, I can see that the water is an oily black, like the paints my sister would make from crushed up beetle shells when we were little. Getting excited that I might be on the right track, I decide to hurry along and follow the stream.

I roll on Delve the Depths. With haste is +edge (1).

A 1, 8, and a 5 on the Action die. That’s a weak hit. I roll the percentiles on the edge column - 29 is Mark progress and Reveal a Danger. I could roll, but there are a few options I consider: The splashing and noise attracts a hostile denizen, the water itself is an environmental hazard, or I trip and fall in my haste, breaking something.

I decide that the water is noxious, and slowly saps the strength of those who come into contact with it, causing physical damage. I must Endure Harm. I decide the threat’s rank is dangerous, so I take 2 harm

As I trod down the small stream, I do not take care to stay out of the water and this quickly proves to be folly. In my haste I don’t immediately notice that each step feels ever harder to take, like my legs are being weighed down by iron boots, and so I step through the water for several hundred feet before I realize what’s happening.

My health is still a (3), so I roll that over Iron (2). I get a 6, 10, and a 4 on the action die. A weak hit - I’ve not been very favorable on that second die in a while. I can press on.

Once I realize this, I quickly get out of the water as my calf muscles begin to cramp and spasm. I brace myself against a nearby tree and wait for the sensation to pass. Fortunately, it does fairly quickly, but I feel much more tired than I did before. I decide to continue following the stream but take care not to step in the water again.

I don’t have any particular idea for this next area, so I consult the Oracle. I roll a 56, which gives me another waterway. Since I think another river doesn’t make a lot of sense - I uncover a forest lake (or pond)

Eventually, the stream connects to a larger waterway that quickly leads to a lake. Mercifully the water here looks relatively normal.

Area 4: The Lake

Much more wary about the situation after my mistake with the stream, I decide to wait and observe my surroundings before taking action - it looks like I can circumnavigate the lake but it’s hard to tell with the mists so thick around me.

I Delve the Depths with +wits (2). 2, 8, and a 1 on the action die. A Weak Hit. I roll on the Wits column. 40. I once again mark progress and reveal a danger. Of course I did. Let’s let the oracle decide what the danger is this time (although I’ve got ideas).

I roll a 02. “A Denizen Haunts this Area”. Lake Ghost. Awesome. Is it one of the Aesir or a prior explorer? I decide it’s one of the Aesir.

As I am slowly making my way around the edge of the vast lake, I hear a gravely and low voice. “Halt, Traveler. Go no further.” It sounds as if it’s all around me, so I grasp the hilt of my sword and look all around me. Suddenly, a spectral entity appears in front of me - a ghost? No, a spirit.

One of the Aesir! I suspected I might run into one, but I was hoping to not.

“Afflicted one, you may go no further. Turn back now, and accept your fate or I will be forced to cut you down.” the Spirit continued, its voice like iron scraping across stone.

Shaken, at first I tighten my grip on my blade - prepared to strike first, but I recall the tales my father told me of the Aesir when I was a boy. “Seek not a quarrel with the Aesir, son, for you will surely lose. The only way to treat with them is by oath or by blood.”

“Great Aesir,” I begin, taking my hand away from my sword, opening my arms wide. “I have no quarrel with you, but I must seek out the altar of the old gods. I’ve heard it can cure any affliction, and I am not yet ready to depart for the shadowlands. I must… avenge the one I’ve lost to the Horrors. Only then may I rest. Allow me to pass, and I swear to you I will kill a hundred more Horrors. As many as it takes.”

The Aesir’s mouth curls up into a sly smile - “You think that the boon I would ask of you, Ironsworn? No.”

“Please, I…”

It holds a hand up. “I shall let you pass, if you swear to me to retrieve the Axe of Hulgrinn Wulfsson from its resting place, in the Cairnlands. Retrieve it, and give it to your son, Vul Aelson.”

Momentarily stunned that the Aesir knows my son, I stutter: “Great Aesir, what would you ask of my son? Why an axe?”

“It is not your place to question, Ironsworn. You have little other choice. Either swear the vow upon my blade” a heavy greatsword appears in the Aesir’s hands, point held forward towards my chest, “or fall upon it. Decide.”

I must Swear an Iron Vow to pass the spirit.

Roll +heart (3) - While not strictly attached to a bond, it does reference the bond I have with Vul, so I will give myself a +1.

I roll a 4, 9, and a 5. With that +4. the 9 I got does not exceed the 9 on the second die, so this is still a weak hit. Gain +1 momentum.

I record the Vow on the character sheet and assign it an Extreme Difficulty. It’s going to be “fun”.

I place my right hand on the flat part of the blade and look the Aesir directly in its glowing amber eyes. “I swear it, Aesir. I will find the Axe of Hulgrinn Wulfsson and entrust it to my son, Vul Aelson. Though I know not where to find Hulgrinn’s crypt, nor your intentions for my boy.”

The Aesir responds, its voice lightening and becoming less ominous. “Fear not, Ael Frigson. You will find the way. We expect great things of your family. Go forth with my blessing.”

The Aesir’s form dissolves back into the mist, and I am left alone in the damp and silence. I steel myself and move forward.

Area 5: The Great Tree

I Delve the Depths. I do not consult the oracle, I feel like this should be roughly the last area, and so I’ve decided it’s a massive ancient oak tree.

Something feels off, I’m going to sneakily approach the tree - roll +Shadow (1 - Ael’s not very sneaky). I roll a 7, 10, and a 5. That’s a miss. Reveal a danger.

No need to roll, I know what it is. The Altar is close, and it’s defended. I roll on the Denizens matrix, and get a 13. A bonewalker. That’s probably the least-bad thing that could have happened.

I approach the clearing where I see a giant oak tree is growing - its trunk is at least two people in diameter, and its branches stretch up into the mist - I cannot see the top. At the base is what appears to be an Altar.

Pacing in front of the Altar is a horror. I’ve seen its kind before - a bonewalker, we call them. The least dangerous of the Horrors, a walking skeleton with glowing yellow eyes. I try to approach it quietly, but I step on a branch, and the resulting loud “crack” draws the thing’s attention to me. I draw my sword and prepare for a fight.

It’s time to Enter the Fray (we could use the short combat rules, but might as well do a full one). This is a Dangerous foe. Based on my narrative positioning, I’m “Facing off against my foe”. Roll +heart (3).

I roll a 1, 5, and a 4 on the challenge die. That’s a Strong hit! +2 momentum and I gain the initiative.

I bring the fight to the horror as it closes the distance - Strike! Roll +iron(2)

I roll a 4, 7, and a 1 on the Challenge die. I have a +5 momentum, so I burn it to turn that into a Weak hit, mark 2 progress and lose the initiative.

The Horror breaks into a sprint and leaps at me, like some sort of great cat. I bring my sword up and take a slash at it, taking care to avoid its sharp claws. I manage to land a good hit on it, but I lose my balance in the process - it lands on the other side of me, poised to strike.

The skeleton whirls around and takes a strike with its claws. We Clash. Roll +iron (2).

I roll a 1, 5, and a 3 on the Challenge die. That’s a Weak hit.

I mark 2 progress against it, and then Pay the Price. It’s kinda obvious here, I must Endure Harm. -2 Health

My Iron is now higher than my health so I roll +iron.

I roll a 2, 6, and a 5 on the challenge die. A Strong hit! I Embrace the pain and take +1 Momentum

I spin around and thrust my sword into the Bonewalker’s rib cage, but I am too slow - it rakes its claws across my arm. The pain is searing, but I endure and let out a defiant howl directly into the Bonewalker’s unholy eyes.

Since I scored a strong hit on the preceding move, I can try to End the Fight. This is risky, because I only have +4 progress, but I figure it’s worth a shot.

Roll +progress (4)

I roll a 4, 5, and a 2 - a Strong Hit!

I remain locked with the horror, burning with rage from the depths of my soul. “YOU WILL NOT STOP ME HERE, MONSTER!” I twist the blade, still stuck through the thing’s ribs - and sever its spinal column. Its eye sockets flicker and then fade as the whole Horror collapses into a pile of bones at my feet. I stomp on its skull and then spit on the pieces.

I approach the tree, hoping beyond hope that this is where I find my salvation.

Since this session is running kinda long, I decide to Locate Your Objective and roll +progress (4). This move cannot use momentum.

I roll a 7, 10, and a 4 on the challenge die. A weak hit. I’ve located my objective, but there’s a problem. I’ve got something in mind, no need to roll.

The altar is a simple stone affair, with waxen candles sitting atop it. I approach and rest my hands on top of the altar, but at first nothing happens. I whisper to myself, or anyone else who may be listening “please. help me.”

“And what makes you think you are deserving of my blessing?” I think to myself. Or wait. Something else is thinking for me?

“Correct, mortal. You come unbidden and expect a reward. Let us find out if you are worthy.”

A splitting pain overwhelms my senses - for a time I experience nothing but suffering, but soon the suffering gives way to memory. I’m back at the cart, saying goodbye to Hildegunn and Vul - promising them I’ll be back soon. I try to scream, to tell them that it’s dangerous. I try to stop myself from leaving, but my body is not mine to control.

A flash forward, standing over Hildegunn’s dead body. Screeching with torment, swearing revenge.

A flash forward, I’m in the woods, the red-cloaked woman’s head staring blankly up at me.

A flash forward, I swear an oath to the Aesir - I notice a dark shadow behind him that wasn’t there before. Or was it?

“Well, mortal, it seems death follows wherever you go. Perhaps it would be better to simply let you turn here. What do you say?”

That sucked, I must Endure Stress. The site is Formidable, so I think the spirit is too. -3 stress. That puts me at 0 stress. I must roll +heart (3).

I roll a 2, 8, and a 6 (!) on the Challenge die. A strong hit! I shake it off, and exchange 1 momentum for a stress.

I feel myself breaking down, the despair at the back of my soul creeping forward, threatening to overwhelm me. I’m worthless. I’ll never avenge Hildegunn. I won’t see Vul grow into a man. I’ll never see Naewyn again. I’m going to die here.

No. No, that’s not right. I remember Hildegunn’s smile the day our son is born, how the sunlight shown upon his face as if Sunna had blessed our family. I feel Naewyn’s hand on my shoulder the day I left for this delve, and the worry on her face. I will not fall to this place, to this hell. I will get my revenge, and then I will live. Finally live.

“No, Spirit.” I raise my head in defiance, and stare directly into the formless mists above me. “I will not die in this place, and I am worthy. I do not need your approval.”

My afflicted leg flares with a sharp pain, and buckles underneath me. I fall down to one knee, and continue through the pain: “Do your worst. I will not stop unless you destroy every last portion of me.”

The pain in my leg subsides, and I get to my feet.

“Very well, Ael Frigson. Be made whole.”

I take a few moments to examine my body - the black inky lines are gone, replaced by scars to mark the ordeal. I catch my breath, and prepare to leave.

It’s time to make the Escape the Depths move. I no longer fear this place, and with steely resolve I trek my way back out. Roll +heart (3).

I roll a 3, 10, and a 5 on the Challenge die. A Weak hit. I’ve got an idea that combines “A Denizen Plots their Revenge” and “Leave Behind Something Important”.

Head held high, Ael Frigson marches back out of the haunted woods to the edge of the forest, where he comes across a small campsite, campfire roaring. Naewyn sits on a log, tending to a small stew pot resting above the fire. She reaches for her axe as she hears the breaking of branches and rustling of bush as Ael approaches. When he gets to the edge of the firelight, she visibly relaxes and rushes to embrace him.

“I… I thought I’d….”, she stammers before regaining her composure. “I knew you’d make it out, you’re too stubborn to let some curse haunted woods end you. Did you find what you sought?”

“Aye. I did. I found a cure for the affliction and… something else.” he pushes Naewyn back from the embrace, his hands on her shoulders, and gazes deeply into her emerald eyes. Without words he pulls her into a deep kiss.

Back behind them, outside of the warm glow of the campfire a figure watches them embrace. It is missing its left arm, and it wears Ael’s face. The creature grins, and backs into the brush and disappears from sight.

Fin.