Ironsworn- A solo mystic adventure

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,...

             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.”        ...

                 I brought the staff down hard. It busted through the wood, weakening the bar that held the door in place and as I pulled it out, I fell into the basement, onto the first step. I had accidently destroyed the whole door, cracking the lock in half. I looked up at the sky and said, “thank you.” Whoever was watching after me allowed for me to enter this place, so I went into the basement, ready for almost anything.             The basement was dark and damp but there was a small lamp aglow. With small pieces of parchment with charcoal drawings all scattered around a pallet. There was a rustle behind me and I quickly put my staff up and blocked a guy lumbering towards me. I moved so that he fell and then I straddled him. He held up his arms. As the light cast it’s orange glow over the guy I noticed one arm ended on a stub. I took a breath.     ...

            I remember standing out in front of that house. My staff on my back. The cold air beginning to threaten winter’s bite. In the distance something splashed in water and the house standing cold, dark, and alone, near the outskirts of the town. It’s remains were withered grey and unused for a few seasons now. Even the plant life had started to retake the steps. As I walked up them, the top one groaned under the stress of my weight.             When I entered the house, the cold draft was the fist thing that I noticed. I look around remembering the layout of the single floor of this house. The common room was to the right of the entry hall. There were two bedrooms in the back. The kitchen and dining area are between the bedrooms and common areas. I take a breath and a being forms in front of me. I see its pale face move in mock speak, “Get Out!”       ...

              My dream after that fight had me naked, clean but naked, standing among a foggy forest with shapes and shadows moving around me. The fog was so thick, I only knew it was a forest because a mighty pine rose behind me, and a few others dotted the areas past the shadows. I spun around looking for anything I can improvise as a weapon. Then he stepped forth from the shadows. Me, skinny, pale, long brown hair tickling my, or rather his, shoulders. A scar running over his chest.              I remember getting that scar from when I fell from a pillar. One of the massive iron pillars that dot the Ironlands. The smallest talked about is five foot tall and nearly a perfect three foot by three-foot square. Some tower larger and girthier. They are all discerned by their shiny metal gleam.              At that, one for...

               With the mid-day sun on me. The circle around me. My knowledge gleened from my friend, a weakness in my foes armor. My skinny body exposed to the boy in front of me, nothing but mud covering my skin, not hiding anything. The boy, Parkik, had his daggers out and ready. Those were going to hurt when they struck me, but my staff was nearly as deadly in my hands. I’ve killed many a swamp rat with it.             With him doing the first attack he moved closer to me. I took a breath and he lunged for me. I readied my staff and blocked one of the daggers by hitting it away, but with the boy being quick he knocked my staff away with the second dagger, disarming me. I remember feeling it slip from my grip as he used the two blades to pry it away from me. He tossed it to the side and I saw it land within the circle to my left. A bad start in my mind.     ...