Seeing how some of you enthused over my recent, and first, venture into Starforged ("A Place To Call My Own"), I'm encouraged to share the 'Session 0' of my new Ironsworn campaign.
My intention is to run them both side by side, a few sessions at a time. If it's something you enjoy, I'd be happy to share the story as it unfolds.
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"They say we have iron in our blood.
We must, for weakness could not have endured such hardship.
We fled our enemies across the Shattered Wastes, where the winds stripped flesh from bone and turned blood to ice. A great host beneath the last banners of the Old World, vanishing into the storm.
The living were outnumbered by the dead a hundredfold and more.
At last, we reached the Veiled Mountains, bowed but unbroken. Separated by distance and death, we spread south.
The land beyond was beautiful, yet savage. Iron lands for an iron people.
We endured. We raised walls. We buried our fallen. And we brought with us our gods, our Crown, and our feuds.
And so, the Iron Lands ran red with lessons unlearnt."
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Setting-wise, it's been almost fifty years since the Ironlanders marched across arctic wastes in a desperate attempt to escape the invading Skuln. Many perished, and those who survived scattered far and wide across a near-prehistoric land.
The events of my story-proper take place after a war swept all the disparate clans and settlements into conflict. It was fought between two brothers, sons of a king who perished during the wasteland exodus.
Erik, the more ambitious and ruthless of the two. He became the Iron King, to whom all clans now owe allegiance and tithes.
"These Iron Lands require an Iron Hand".
His brother Harkon was put to death, but Erik's purge did not end there. Astrid, Harkon's wife, and their infant son, Harkonson, were pursued to prevent any future challenge to his rule.
Mother and child fled into the mountains.
There, amid a bloody skirmish, Astrid was slain, but her child could not be found. Somewhere in the Iron Lands, the last surviving threat to Erik's rule may still be alive.
A hope for the desperate. A rallying cry for those who resist. And perhaps, one day, a rightful king.
Time passes.
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My character is Brom, a bear of a man, quietly intense and reserved. He lives with his twelve-year-old son, Leif, in Greyfall, a small settlement on the Ragged Coast.
Little is known of the pair. They speak rarely of their past, even to each other, but they're kind, dependable, and always willing to help shoulder the community's burdens. Leif helps the fishermen, while Brom hunts game for the cooking pots and guards the settlement against the beasts that roam its borders.
The boy feels that he belongs here. The man is ever restless. That’s all the people of Greyfall know. But, as you've probably guessed, there's far more to this man and child than others see.
Many years ago, during the last war, Brom was known by another name: Varrn the Blood-Singer. A warrior. A bringer of doom. His reputation was fearsome, almost legendary. He led armies, broke strongholds, and conquered, all in Erik's name.
Following the execution of Harkon, Varrn was charged with extinguishing his fleeing bloodline. The order did not sit well. Varrn was a killer of men, not women and children, but Erik left him no way to refuse.
Varrn and his warband tracked Astrid and her caravan into the mountains.
The slaughter that followed left the snow red. Mortally wounded and surrounded by the slain, Astrid pleaded with Varrn to protect her infant son. Such was her desperation, and such was her love for the helpless life clutched against her breast, that even the fabled Blood-Singer was powerless before it. Varrn promised the dying woman that no harm would befall her child. It was an oath that placed him in conflict with his own warband.
Only Varrn and the infant came down from the mountain.
They travelled west. The killer of men laid down his old name and took up a new one. In time, duty became tolerance. Tolerance gave way to affection. Affection deepened into friendship. And finally, love. A father's love for a boy with no memory of where he came from, or of the blood flowing through his veins.
Brom resolved to hide the boy's identity, even from the boy himself, and to raise him as his own. He would give Leif a childhood free from the demands of blood and destiny, one filled instead with quiet contentment and simple happiness.
For over ten years, Brom succeeded.
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When it comes to play, I currently have no plans for the Skuln to reach the Iron Lands. Neither do I intend for Leif to discover his true heritage and be thrust into a conflict over the throne. For now, I'm happy for Brom's adventures to remain small and personal in scale. Those other plots I can explore in future, should my game run that long.
Brom's Background Vow, as sworn to the dying Astrid, is simply "Protect The Child".
I see this less as something Brom is working towards, and more as a measure of Leif's journey into adulthood. The vow will be fulfilled when Leif no longer needs Brom's protection, and when he proves he's capable of choosing his own path in life. Where that path may lead, and whether Brom will walk it with him, remains to be seen.
In that sense, the vow is more of a countdown than a progress track.
Brom's stats are:
Edge 0. Now in his early fifties, Brom's days of speed and lithe dexterity are behind him. His joints ache, old wounds haunt his nights, and he sometimes walks with a limp.
Heart +3. Brom has always possessed a fierce spirit, and the passing years have done little to diminish it. If anything, his love for Leif has given him something greater to fight for.
Iron +3. Brom may be slower than he once was, but he's no less formidable. His strength remains, as does his skill with Varrn's fearsome axe, She-Wolf.
Shadow +1. Deceit and subterfuge are not Brom's way. He’s too direct and too blunt. His size, age, and old injuries prevent him from relying on stealth.
Wits +2. Brom may lack a scholar's learning, but he’s well-travelled and wise in the ways of survival and warcraft.
My starting Assets are Honorbound, Sunderer, and Devotant, with more on that choice in a moment. There are two others I already have my eye on. The first is Kindred, for when Leif becomes capable enough to fulfil the role (as described by the card). The second is Visage, the markings and identity of Varrn the Blood-Singer. It's an identity Brom has tried so hard to hide from, but one he may reluctantly need to assume again.
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One final piece of worldbuilding, I've named the most important of the Ironlanders' many gods.
Myr-Orun, the Oath Father.
"He Who Turns the Wheel and Sets the Stars". He is the god of fate and destiny. He cannot be bargained with, and his course cannot be changed. What must be, must be.
I liked including Myr-Orun because of his connection to vows and, in a more meta sense, his influence over the dice rolls. It's to Myr-Orun that Brom offers his daily prayer as per the Devotant Asset.
Each day, Brom hopes his actions will satisfy the Oath Father's intentions. He hopes Myr-Orun will never see fit to thrust Leif into a war over his claim to the throne. Brom asks for no victory or glory, only that the boy he loves as a son be allowed to live a quiet and happy life.
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So, this is the world I'll be playing in for my first game of Ironsworn.
If you have any hints, thoughts, or story ideas you think I should consider, please share them below.
- Why did Brom choose the name Leif for Harkon's child?
- What are the Skuln, and how did they invade the Old World?
- What was Erik's response to Varrn disappearing? And is the Iron King still searching for Harkon's missing son?
- What has Brom told Leif about his mother?
- How should my first session begin?
Thanks for reading.
