Chapter 2: Laws of Stone
Ironsworn Acutal Play, Session 2
The palisades of Stoneford rose from the grey landscape like a fortress of defiance. From a distance, Uros could see guards posted at the gates. The settlement seemed to prosper. A sharp contrast to the dying rot of Whitefall. A good fortune in trade and their abilities in mining and forestry had made them rich, but Uros knew the rumors: Sola had told him that Stoneford grew most of all by scavenging smaller, weaker settlements and bringing them under their influence.
But what truly held his gaze was the tree.
Rising from the center of the village, a massive Planetree stood well over a hundred feet tall. Its leaves burned with autumn fire: red, yellow, orange, and stubborn greens, looking alien and vibrant against the drab Ironlands sky.
Uros descended the ridge and approached the gate, his hand resting casually near his sword. He decided on telling the guards half-truths. There was no point in discussing plague and politics with gatekeepers.
“Merely a traveler,” he grunted. “Looking for food and shelter for a few days. The road has been long”, he exhaled, trying to emphasize his fatigue.
Relationship Move: Compel (+shadow)
Result: Action 7 vs Challenge 3 / 9 | Weak Hit.
Outcome: They agree, but demand something in return (Oracle: Attack Opinion).
The guards exchanged a look. They didn’t bar his way, but one stepped uncomfortably close, a sneer twisting his face.
“Stoneford is the jewel of The Havens, traveler,” the guard boasted, shoving Uros’ shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. “Not like whatever shithole you crawled out of. You’d agree, wouldn’t you? Best keep your head down and show some respect to your betters.”
Uros bit his tongue. His thumb brushed the hilt of his blade, but he forced a nod instead. “It looks… impressive,” he muttered.
The guards barked a laugh at his submission and shoved him through the gates. “Get in there, rat.”
Inside, Stoneford was bustling. The sensory overload hit Uros like a physical blow. The smell of roasting meat, the clang of smithies, the sheer volume of people. He hadn’t seen such life in years, and in a way it intimidated him. For a split second though, envy clawed at his gut. Why did Whitefall have to rot while they thrived?
He pushed the thought away. He was here for a reason.
Adventure Move: Gather Information (+wits)
Result: Action 6 vs Challenge 6 / 9 | Miss.
Pay the Price: Your action has an unintended effect.
The market square beneath the giant Planetree was a display of fortune. Fine armors, handcrafted trinkets, and food in abundance. Uros scanned the stalls, looking for bundles of herbs or the distinct mark of a healer. Finding nothing, he stopped an older woman carrying a basket.
“May I?” Uros offered, helping her pick up a few trinkets she had dropped in the hustle. He handed them back.
“Fine”, the elder replied, taking her things back impatiently.
“You wouldn’t happen to know”, Uros inquired, “Where I can find a Druid here? I’m in need of some medi—”
The change in her demeanor was instant. Terror.
“Druid?” she hissed, snatching her basket back. “All witches and dark wizards, those bastards! They’re in the dungeons, where they belong!” She spat on the ground near his boots and hurried away, casting fearful glances over her shoulder.
Uros stood frozen in the crowd. In the dungeons? He knew some in the Ironlands feared magic. Most believed the true arts were lost or cursed, but imprisonment was a harsh, organized cruelty he hadn’t expected from these freedom-focused folk.
He needed to know more.
Adventure Move: Gather Information (+wits)
Result: Action 7 vs Challenge 8 / 9 | Miss.
Pay the Price: The current situation worsens.
He made his way to a drinking house, hoping ale would loosen tongues. But the mood inside was grim. Every conversation he overheard, every person he subtly probed, shared the same fanatical support for their Overseer’s purge.
“Locked them all up under the longhouse,” a man muttered into his tankard. “Couple of those misfits left. Good riddance.”
Suddenly, the tavern door burst open. A young boy, face flushed with excitement, screamed: “The trial! The trial!”
The inn emptied in seconds. Patrons left unfinished drinks, their faces twisted in a look of bloodthirsty anticipation. Uros was swept along with the tide, moving toward the outskirts of the village.
The crowd, some sixty or seventy strong, gathered around a wooden pedestal stained with old blood. The air smelled of cold smoke, sweat, and fear. Two guards dragged a figure onto the platform. An Elf.
NPC: Prisoner
First Look: Cloaked
Activity: Obeserving
Disposition: Desperate
A heavy-set Ironlander with a thick beard stepped next to the pedestal, unrolling a crackling scroll.
“Aralu of the Deep Wilds!” he bellowed. “You are accused of wielding magic and hexing the fine people of Stoneford! Three of our kin are dead by your potions! What do you have to say for yourself?”
The crowd roared. The Elf, Aralu, looked more like a corpse than a killer. Her cheeks were sunken, her skin the color of ash.
“It wasn’t… not my fault…” she wheezed. “Trying... to help you...”
“Our laws allow you a choice,” the judge continued, his voice dripping with mock benevolence. “You can plea guilty, here and now, and suffer your punishment. Or, if you have the means, invoke a trial by combat.”
Hideous laughter rippled through the mob. The Elf couldn’t even stand, let alone fight.
“Combat...” she whispered. The crowd cheered tauntingly. They knew that either way, it was certain death.
“So be it!” The judge grinned. “Emelyn!”
A massive warrior stepped forward. She held a bearded axe with practiced ease, her arms scarred and thick with muscle. She grinned at the broken Elf.
“You’ll be fighting on your own, then?”, the judge asked sneering and then turned to the crowd, “Or does anyone wish to champion for this murderer?”
Uros’ mind raced. What if she is the druid I need? What if she is innocent? But if I step in, I fight the whole village. He looked at the Elf. Broken, starving, alone against a mob.
“No one, it seems”, the judge concluded, “Emelyn, whenever you’re ready.”
A deep, rumbling voice broke through the cheers like a thunder in an Ironland-storm. “I will champion for the Elf”, Uros said.
The crowd parted in shock as he strode to the pedestal. He drew his iron brand, the metal hissing. He leaned close to the terrified Elf. “When this is over, I’ll need your help,” he whispered.
Combat Move: Draw the Circle (+heart)
Result: Action 9 vs Challenge 2/8 | Strong Hit.
Bonus: +1 Momentum. Boast: “To the death.” (+1 Momentum).
Current Momentum: +7
He turned to Emelyn. He didn’t just want to win; he wanted to end this decisively.
The duel began.
Uros moved first, a blur of steel targeting Emelyn’s legs to hamstring her power.
Combat Move: Strike (+iron)
Result: Action 6 vs Challenge 4 / 5 | Strong Hit.
Outcome: +1 Harm to foe (2/10 Progress).
His blade bit deep into her thigh. Emelyn roared, not in pain, but in fury. She swung her axe, a decapitating blow, but Uros ducked, coming up for a second strike.
Combat Move: Strike (+iron)
Result: Action 9 vs Challenge 9 / 9 | Miss (Match).
Pay the Price: An ally is put in harm’s way.
He underestimated her speed. Emelyn ignored her wound, slamming the haft of her axe into Uros’ chest, knocking him flat. She didn’t follow up on him immediately. Instead, she spun and kicked the kneeling Aralu in the stomach, crumpling the Elf into unconsciousness.
“No!” Uros scrambled up, breathless. Emelyn was already swinging down.
Combat Move: Clash (+iron)
Result: Action 9 vs Challenge 2 / 10 | Weak Hit.
Outcome: +1 harm (4/10 Progress), but Pay the Price (-2 Health, now at +1).
He caught the axe on his crossguard, but the force drove him to his knees. A jagged edge of the axe-blade tore into his shoulder.
Suffer Move: Endure Harm (+iron)
Result: Action 10 vs Challenge 2 / 9 | Strong Hit.
Outcome: Embrace the Pain (+1 Momentum).
Current Momentum: +8
Pain exploded in his upper body, but Uros channeled it into a scream of rage. He shoved her back, slashing wildly.
Combat Move: Clash (+iron)
Result: Action 6 vs Challenge 3 / 9 | Weak Hit.
Outcome: +1 harm (6/10 Progress), but Pay the Price (-1 Health, -1 Momentum). Health is now 0.
Current Momentum: +7
They traded blows in a gruesome rhythm. Steel on iron, iron on flesh. Uros was bleeding from a dozen cuts. His vision began to blur. He was dying.
Suffer Move: Endure Harm (+iron)
Result: Action 10 vs Challenge 4 / 8 | Strong Hit.
Outcome: Embrace the Pain (+1 Momentum).
Current Momentum: +8
He refused to fall. Adrenaline flooded his system, overriding the shock. He saw Emelyn preparing a final, crushing overhead chop. She was tired. She was sloppy.
Combat Move: Clash (+iron)
Result: Action 10 vs Challenge 1 / 10 | Weak Hit.
Outcome: +1 harm (8/10 Progress), but Pay the Price (-2 Momentum).
Current Momentum: +6
Another hit. Another gash. But he saw the opening.
Suffer Move: Endure Harm (+Iron)
Result: Action 10 vs Challenge 5 / 7 | Strong Hit.
Outcome: Embrace the Pain (+1 Momentum).
Current Momentum: +7
Blood ran into his eyes. He stood on sheer willpower alone. Emelyn lunged. Uros didn’t block. He sidestepped.
Combat Move: End the Fight
Result: Progress 8 vs Challenge 5 / 6 | Strong Hit.
His sword found the gap in her armor. He drove the blade deep into her side, twisting it as they collided. Emelyn gasped, the axe falling from her numb fingers. She collapsed heavily to the dirt.
Silence descended on the crowd. Sickening, heavy silence.
Uros fell to his knees, coughing up blood. He looked at the judge, then at the unconscious Elf beside him. A Warrior of Stoneford had fallen to a stranger.
“It is decided then,” the judge curtly assessed, his voice cold.
The world tilted sideways. Darkness encroached on the edges of Uros’ vision. The last thing he felt was the cold wind on his wounds and the vibration of heavy boots approaching.
“Take them,” a muffled voice ordered. “Quick.”
Notes
Wow, that combat was terrifying. Uros hit 0 Health pretty quickly! And although it was really frustrating to never have the opportunity to spend my Momentum (as all the Challenge-rolls were too high), it was still of great use.
See you soon in Chapter 3!
A great session! Combat can turn ugly quick with a few misses! You can always choose other maluses for Pay the Price, not just health! But it was great narratively in this case!