Ironsworn- A solo mystic adventure

                 The morning came with a shake from Parkik. Our captives were still asleep. He whispered in my ear. “More are coming.”             I got up and grabbed my staff. I looked around the cave and said, “I’ve got an idea.”             Within a few moments Parkik and I were dressed in the cultist robes and as the group were coming into the Rift of Edda I had my fingers on the neck of the unconscious Order members. They’d be awake soon, but I had an idea.             The leader of the new group entered the cave first and said, “Brothers, have we succeeded?”             “No sir.” I said. “The spell backfired. The Pillar did something to the magic and it created a backlash.”      ...

 (Welcome Back)             Parkik’s knife poked my back as we walked through the twisting tunnels. I closed my eyes and took a breath. Then as I opened them I saw the forces around us moving inward towards the pillar. We were headed to the epicenter of this cult. And Parkik was using me as a shield and diversion for whatever plan he had. The spell they were casting was mystic in origin but just like that warding spell it was inpersonal, cold, calculated. Something else was seeping into their magic. The iron pillars were fighting this new magic, I could see an order weaving its way into the chaotic fabric of the spell. If only I could help it.             I closed my eyes letting Parkik guide me. We walked into the anti-chamber and the magic hit me, hard. I felt the air leave my lungs and something in me snap taught. It was that same feeling that I felt when the town ward...

Winter came in heavy, cold, and wet for us this year. Thankfully, we managed to restock and resupply. I healed up for a bit before continuing my trials that the magic pillars put me on. I will be a mystic by the end of spring next year. But this next challenge began during the solstice. The longest darkest night of the year. The sun barely peaks above the horizon before sneaking back down, revealing the stars. These nights are the most brutal for us.             The night before we lost the sun, I heard the wind howl. Ithella burst into the house and told me to get dressed and ready for a journey. I did just that. Got my staff. Grabbed a bag of salt. Walked out of the house. Parkik was dressed in a baslisk scale armor set. The white scales gleamed in the dull winter sun. On his head,showing off his long curly red hair, was a circulate of blackened deadwood. He looked ready to go into battle. I was wearing a simple tunic, trousers,...

             The meeting began with a clamor. In the main long house smoke rose to the roof and went out. There were meats hanging at the top of the room drying and smoking. The wooden structure always had a raging fire, it was the main building during winter and the meeting hall for any of the family gatherings. This is one of those moments. The families had all been called. Heads of households with their partners or other important members. Racha keep a weary eye on everyone, still angered by the loss of the healing hut, especially so close to winter.             I was tasked with gathering information on the other members in the list. So, I set about doing that. The community knew me and trusted me, for the most part. The conversations went smoothly, my wit saved me for the most part. The hardest was with one family when I found out two of the names were twins and the heirs to their ...

             Steadfast as a community was peaceful. They didn’t have a jail nor any form of judicial system. Just the mystics and tradition to guide them through their day to day. Survival of the fittest seemed to rule, but with a hint of compassion. So, when I woke up to the smell of smoke, I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to walk into. As I left my quarters in the back of the healing hut there was a blazing fire near the door. I quickly turned around and opened Racha’s door to her room. She was sound asleep. I shook her awake and threw her a fur lined gown. I looked around the room and realized we’d have to go out to the healing room. Racha quickly got up and dressed. She smelled the fire and a stern look covered her face.             I shook my head and then grabbed her hand. We walked out of her room back to the front. The fire hungerly consumed the wood floors and walls in front of the...

             The next dawn came with a light misting and rays of red light. I woke up as the sun rose over the eastern hills. I left the healer hut with my staff. I was dressed in light flax tunic and soft hide pants. I looked around the village and everything was calm and cool. I stretched a bit to loosen my jounts. I had the necklace I found on the body around my neck. I wanted to check with  Maura and Bevin, first to apologize. Then I wanted to ask if they had any words for their deceased husband/father.             So I walked to the house. In the few days that I’ve been gone the village had come together and fixed her basement door. I went up to the houses front door and knocked gently. She reluctantly answered the door. She saw me and sighed a breath of relief. She opened her door the rest of the way and I noticed Bevin going to hide. I didn’t need to call to the boy. Instead I stepped...

             We woke up that morning warmly against each other. I felt a little sore from the fight yesterday but I was thankful Parkik was safe. He woke up with me and we both got up and went about our morning duties. I handled the food and cooking the serpent meat while he began the early tear-down of the tent. We ate together and talked as we ate. I learned that his village had a tribunal of the wealthiest merchant families. Their circle was run by material possessions and trade routes. His family owned the longest trade route in the village by going from the Tempest hills all the way down to the flooded lands. I shared with him the importance of our mystics and how Ithella and Racha ran the entirety of Steadfast and that wealth wasn’t important. I remember toying with the iron ring and him eyeing it. I told him of the unusual properties of iron for the mystics and of my wish to find out more about the use of iron in magic, or at least it’...

 (This is a longer post because so much happened.)                 Parkik and I were sitting on the storehouse steps and he repeated, “So. You need to grab this body to help finish your trial of spirit. The fact that this body is west of the town means that it will cross the path of that Basilisk. Sounds like you’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone here. You and I can go handle the Basilisk and then recover this dead body.”             I looked at this guy. “So, we’re going to do this? Together?”             “Yes! Basilisk and body. It can’t be too hard!” Parkik said.             “Alright, it’s going to be a small journey… prepare yourself. I need to talk to Ithella and Racha…apologize and get my staff back.”        ...